


The Goddess of Death

by The_Dark_Kunoichi



Series: Big Sister SI!Hela [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Big Sister Hela, Character Development, Fix-It, Kind Hela, Odin (Marvel)'s A+ Parenting, Original Character(s), Protective Hela, Rebirth, Reincarnation, Self-Insert, Sibling Bonding, Worldbuilding
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-30
Updated: 2019-01-15
Packaged: 2019-05-30 20:54:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 27,633
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15104711
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Dark_Kunoichi/pseuds/The_Dark_Kunoichi
Summary: Hela Odinsdottir is not her original name, nor is it her first choice if she is truly reborn in the world of Marvel. However, if accepting it means growing up alongside her dear siblings and protecting her youngest brother from his horrible fate, then she will gladly continue this farce for as long as she lived. (Self-Insert/OC)...In which Hela being a big sister changeseverything.





	1. The Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> I have always been fond of the big sister Hela idea. Especially if you think about what would happen if Thor and Loki has an older sibling who cares about them. Maybe that's the key to prevent every bad thing that happened in the MCU... or maybe not. There is only one problem though: I know that the real Hela would never do that. Thus, this story is born.

She was just an ordinary woman – astute and efficient in her job, but sometimes brash in her decisions, according to her peers. In her free time, though, she loves watching her fair share of movies and is oddly fond of the superhero genre. There's just something nice about the fact that the world has someone to rely on whenever there is trouble, and no one else has perfected the superhero genre more than Marvel Studios. But Marvel was only a past time, a fleeting interest to make use of her spare time, and has no overall impact in her life whatsoever.

… All right, she partly lied. It was much more than a fleeting interest, but not really something she considers an obsession. She watched the movies, studied the lore and the theories, hummed the theme on random occasions, but not fanatical enough to read the comic books. To conclude, she is just an average fan.

When Thor: Ragnarok came out, she had been excited. The trailer looked amazing, and she had always loved the Thor series out of all of the MCU movies. This is something she won't pass up, and so she saved money for the tickets and went to the premiere.

The movie was good. _Insanely_ good. She found herself praising Marvel for making the Thor series even better with this movie. Best of all, Loki is not the only interesting villain anymore (though he will always remain her favorite), now there is Hela, the evil goddess of death who is also Thor and Loki's older sister (which surprised her when she first found out. After all, wasn't she Loki's daughter in the original myths?) She found it interesting that Loki now has someone he actually looks like in the family, and that someone is actually a legitimate child.

She enjoyed it immensely, and found herself wondering what exactly happened to Hela when Asgard was destroyed. Is she dead, or will she be back?

Turns out, that's the last coherent thought she had before everything went wrong.

At exactly the end of the movie, a hysterical man suddenly burst into the theater, screaming and waving around a gun, and shot her in the chest before being shoved to the floor by security. But the damage had already been done. She, who had been sitting several seats and aisles away from the man and therefore, should not have been shot any more than the rest of the people in the room, could only conclude that either she's really unlucky or there is some other force at work.

Her adrenaline was still high after watching the movie, which explained why she did not entirely register what happened until she was already lying on the floor, the impact and excruciating pain in her chest completely taking her by surprise. She had gasped and curled up, her throat and lungs filling with blood, her whole body trembling in agony.

All around her, people screamed and panicked, with only a few brave people staying to try to help her and call 911. She wished she could have remembered their faces, so that she may thank them for their help after she recovered, but the pain was too much. She soon succumbed to the darkness that was beckoning to her, the people shouting for her to " _hold on!"_ fading until there is nothing left but blessed silence.

As she said, Marvel was only a past time – a fleeting interest – and has no overall impact in her life whatsoever.

Why then, did it make an impact in death?

 

**…**

 

Pain.

Burning, raw, mind-numbing _pain_.

There is no air in her lungs, and yet she is alive and struggling. She gasped and tried hard to breathe in as much air as possible, but there was nothing. Only darkness and the _pain_.

She must have blacked out at some point, because the next thing she knew, she was gasping and crying as sweet, _sweet_ air started filling up her depraved lungs, her eyes uncontrollably leaking tears as she finally found relief.

She paid no mind to the voices and murmurs around her as she focused on breathing steadily and trying not to be sick, the black creeping out of the edge of her vision until she could finally see, albeit through tear-filled and blurry vision.

The first thing she registered was that everything her eyes gazed upon is colored _gold_. The color was so bright and blinding that she found her eyes again leaking tears as she squeezed them shut. In doing so, she is then highly aware when she felt her body being cradled by the warmest arms she's ever felt, and she hesitantly opened her eyes to meet a woman's kind face, her smile the most beautiful thing she's ever seen.

The woman then murmured something, but the sound that came out of her lips are odd. However her voice, calming and kind that it was, soothed her enough for her to close her tired eyes and give in to sleep.

 

**…**

 

They called her 'Hela'.

The name sounded _horrible_. It reminded her of the fiery afterlife 'Hell', and of 'Hela,' the evil daughter of Odin from the MCU, both of which are _not_ nice comparisons at all. However, it is what she is named by her new mother and father, and nothing she can do will change that.

Of course, just like any other fan, she briefly entertained the thought that maybe she _is_ Hela, but ultimately decided that she's just jumping to conclusions. It is one thing to be reincarnated; it is another thing entirely to reincarnate as a _goddess_.

And speaking of that, it didn't really take her long to realize that she had been reincarnated. After all, it _was_ a bit hard to ignore when one's body had obviously reduced to an infant's, and that it looked like she ended up in a place where servants, warriors, and guards are still considered the norm.

Now, she would have been glad and even proud to say that she accepted this realization easily and with no fuss, but that would be lying. What _really_ happened was that she experienced a full-blown panic attack; the kind that left her breathing hysterically and crying like no tomorrow as everyone around her panicked as well. All she could think of was that she was _dead_. Worst of all, she was killed while watching a _movie_ , of all things. She had unwillingly left her family behind when they needed her the most, her whole life… _everything_ was gone the moment that bullet pierced through her ribcage. There was no act of heroism, no last stand, she didn't even get a say in. She was just… _dead_.

It frankly was difficult to believe, and it was a good thing when she finally managed to fall unconscious. It meant that she could escape thinking about it for a while longer.

The next time she woke, she found her hair being stroked by gentle fingers, and she looked up to see the same woman with the kind smile that she now realized was her new mother. She was presently singing softly, the sound sweet and calming. Her blue eyes gazed down at hers lovingly, and Hela then found that she is quickly growing fond of her, even though this woman can never replace her first mother.

Her soft singing slowly lulled her to sleep, and that is when she realized that it's going to be okay. Reincarnation cannot be so bad when she has this kind and loving woman to guide and help her back to her feet. Stories she read involving it usually presented challenges and hardships, sometimes even tragedies, but she felt that everything is going to be alright as long as she has this woman – _her_ _mother –_ by her side.

Now, growing up yet again, she found that reincarnation is truly an extraordinary phenomenon, and one she did not expect to experience at all. It is something she only ever heard of in stories and movies. It wasn't _real_. However, she still has her highly curious and inquisitive mind, a thing that has gotten her into trouble countless times before, and she found that her curiosity couldn't resist exploring and trying to find out all that she can from the new life she now led.

The information she gleaned from listening and observing made it clear that she had been reborn into a royal, wealthy, and powerful family; judging by the titles and names bestowed upon her by the servants, her nursemaid, and the whole _kingdom_ when her new parents presented her to them.

(She tried hard not to think about how she had been scared shitless when she woke from a _very_ long and nice nap to suddenly find herself presented before thousands of people like a piece of meat being dangled in front of hungry wolves. That memory is best left forgotten.)

Everywhere she turned – _or been carried, if you want to be more specific_ – people would bow and murmur, "Your Grace", "Your Highness", or even, "Princess." If nothing else, _that_ cemented the fact that she is royalty, and even a _princess_ to boot! It is frankly very difficult to believe, and she first spent the next few days nearly catatonic in shock.

This is just not something that should be possible. Reincarnation is just a thing used in stories or old myths. Unless there _is_ a semblance of truth to those old myths. Is this what happens every time a person dies? He or she gets reincarnated into another life? Because she refused to believe that she is the only exception to that rule.

The realization is shocking, but also something that she's extremely excited and curious about. Being reincarnated as a princessis _incredible_ , and it looks like the place is even medieval when it comes to their looks and ways, so there is no denying that she is thrilled and _very_ interested to learn more about this world and time she had been fortunate enough to have a second chance in.

Her old life was gone the moment the bullet embedded itself into her chest. She dearly misses her family, her friends, her life, even her boring job. But she knew it is time to move on. There is no use to dwell on the things that could not be. For one, she doesn't know how to go back. Besides, it probably isn't wise to start telling people that she is reincarnated. Knowing medieval times, she wouldn't be surprised if people started accusing her of being a witch.

She doesn't know why she is reincarnated, but it is best to make the most of it. And the fact that she is _royalty_ just makes this so much better.

Every girl has dreamt of being a princess in her childhood. Especially when those Disney princess movies came out, and the fact that she has a chance to live that dream is _amazing_. She will be the best princess there is, and will not be the type to wait for a man to rescue her. She could even be a warrior, mainly because being a typical princess could be boring.

She will live this second life to the fullest, and the prospect both excited and terrified her.

With that decided, it didn't take long for her to try to learn and adapt to their ways.

The first thing she did was establish that while she is a child, she is _mature_. She has no desire to be coddled, or babied, or even, god forbid, _breastfed._ It was not hard; she already had the mind of a person in her twenties. But it took a lot of convincing before they finally accepted it. Princess Hela is _not_ an ordinary child.

After that, it didn't take long before she began trying to teach herself to walk and move properly again. Being unable to control your own limbs is a frightening experience, and one she did not wish to endure any longer than she had to. The first few attempts made her look like a dying eel, however, with constant practice; she soon regained control of her motor skills. The look on her new mother and father's face the first time they saw her walk towards them unsupported had been _brilliant_ , to say the least.

And with that, she finally decided that it's time to learn more about this new world and time she resided in, and what better way to do it than by reading about it.

Decision made, it didn't take long for Hela to toddle her way to find the library, all the while dodging and hiding from servants who would attempt to get her back to her room. It took her a long time, but she finally found it when she decided to trail behind a man with his nose stuck in a book. Following him in, she padded into the gigantic chamber full of towering bookshelves that looked even taller with her current size and gaped in disbelief.

The room was _huge_. So huge it shouldn't even be called a _room_. It has three floors, with each the size and length of possibly a football field, and every inch and corner having bookshelves as tall as trees. The first floor is clearly a reading area where all the tables, chairs, and sofas are positioned and occupied by a few people (she found herself eyeing what looks like the fluffiest couch she's ever seen that offered a view outside a tall and equally as elegant window.) The second and third floors consisted of the massive bookshelves and the occasional sitting areas. However, it is clear that it is a _palace_ library just because the staircases, banisters, floors, furniture, and the chandeliers are all made of _gold_.

Hela found herself gaping dumbfounded, because if her new family thought that even the library and the bathrooms needed gold, then they must be _filthy rich_ indeed to afford such a luxury. Which means she too is _filthy rich_. A _very_ stark contrast to her previous life.

Staring at her surroundings, she almost forgot the reason she went here in the first place, and quickly hid as people walked past her position. If they found her here, she is sure she would be carried back to her rooms. Why else would a child sneak into a library unless she was lost?

Sneaking wasn't hard. The library was huge enough that even _chairs_ could hide her whole body. All she had to do is sneak past everyone and hide behind one of the massive bookshelves. Grinning widely at her success, Hela proceeded to reach for the nearest book and opened it to a random page, where she quickly found a massive problem in her plans.

The books are written in another language.

Eyes wide, Hela began pulling every book out of the shelf and opening them, with her eyes greeted by the same strange symbols written in the first book.

Of course. She's living in a medieval world located who knows where, it's _bound_ to have a different language. Though she's confused as to why it isn't the Old English she had been expecting to find. Instead, the symbols looked like _runes_.

Hela rolled her eyes and barely suppressed a groan. She already has trouble understanding normal Old English when she read Shakespeare back in school, but now she has to learn _runes_?

Learning another language would be difficult and tedious, but it looks to be necessary so she could live properly in this world. The last thing she wants is to become an illiterate.

_But it's boring!_

She scolded herself for whining. She had been planning to read books about this world by herself, but now she just had to ask her new parents to tutor her or something. It's not a big deal.

Nodding to herself, Hela grinned determinedly.

 

**…**

 

"Father, Mother, I wanna learn how to read."

Both her parents' eyebrows shot up in surprise at her sudden declaration over breakfast. She had been waiting for the right moment to ask as she pushed her food around (thin and tender slices of meat from a boar so she could chew it easily, freshly baked bread, and fruit. You can't get any more medieval than that) and saw her chance when there was finally silence around the table. Her mother glanced at her husband, before smiling at her daughter kindly, "Are you sure you already want to do that? You are still quite young."

And she knew it's true. Judging by her body, she's probably about two or three years old. But she can't wait that long! Hela nodded firmly, face determined. "I'm sure."

Her father sent a rare smile her way and Hela's eyes widened. In the time she had been here, her new father never sent anything her way but a passing glance. That made it clear that her new father is someone that is very hard to please. It frankly made her giddy just seeing him smile at her and chided herself for behaving like an attention-seeking puppy. She's too old for those things, geez.

"If she wants to learn, let her." Her father brought his attention back to his food and the papers covering his side of the table, her mother slowly following suit.

And that's that.

 

**…**

 

It took a few days before they finally found an instructor.

Her teacher, an old woman called Vor, is stern, no-nonsense, but very wise. The moment they met, there was no delay, they just swiftly dived into the lessons without preamble, which is just the way Hela liked it. She never did liked wasting time. And the sooner she learned how to read, the better.

"Before we start, you must know that runes are not simply a language; it is an art. Every rune has meaning, importance – and when used in seidr – it has _power_."

Hela raised a hand automatically, even though it's just the two of them. "Excuse me, power?"

Vor immediately frowned, "We do not usually say 'excuse me,' it is informal. You say either 'pardon me' or 'I beg your pardon.'"

Hela blushed, forgetting that they are currently in the medieval period, and responded appropriately. "I beg your pardon, but did you just say 'power'? And what is a seidr?"

"Every rune possesses power. While it is part of our language, it is also considered as a tool for seidmadr and seidkona to channel their seidr. And as for your other question, seidr is an ability few Aesir possess that has the capability to alter destiny and reality itself. The King and Queen are known practitioners of it."

Hela's eyes grew wide at that information. "My Mother and Father have _magic_?!"

Just what kind of medieval world did she get reborn into, King Arthur and Merlin's time? Is magic seriously a thing in this world? And if her new mother and father have magic, does she have it too?

So many questions, and it just made her glad she decided to learn about this so early; at least the revelations are out of the way.

Vor only sighed at her ignorance, "You have much to learn, Your Highness."

Hela could only smile sheepishly in agreement.

 

**…**

 

For several years, Hela learned nonstop under Vor's tutelage. She quickly grew fond of the old woman. Vor is strict and no-nonsense, yes, but whenever Hela displays her curiosity and determination to learn, she could just see a soft smile flashing underneath the harsh demeanor. She learned that Vor highly values those truly interested to learn, which according to her is few and far in between this kingdom, who is comprised mostly of warriors and 'stubborn oafs'. Her words, not Hela's. Though she is beginning to agree with her.

This kingdom is full of warriors, literally. It seems that all they liked to do here is to go on adventures, spars, fights, and feasts. It is very monotonous, and Hela quickly found herself bored to tears. Only the lessons with Vor served as the highlight of her day.

According to her teacher, there are twenty-five runes in all, and learning about them and their different meanings and symbolisms had been difficult, but at last Hela repeated them enough that she could probably recite them all in her sleep without fail.

Along with that, Hela also learned how to speak like a true royal medieval princess. Speaking mostly comprises of formal words with almost no contractions. Vulgar words or expletives are also not spoken freely here, which caused Hela many problems in the early days. She even started speaking formally even in her own thoughts! It is all very strict and proper, but at the same time, learning it is interesting.

Though everything she learned aren't all positives, as she later found out.

Vor had been in the middle of one of her lectures, mentioning one or two words that made Hela twitch in her seat, when she finally couldn't stop her curiosity. She had slowly been growing very confused and suspicious every time those _words_ are mentioned, not to mention there's a niggling bad feeling at the back of her mind. It seemed the right time to address these concerns. "Please excuse my ignorance, Vor, but if I may ask, why do you keep including names and words like Odin, Heimdall, Yggdrasil, and Vanaheim as if they are all real? Are they not just myths?"

Hela immediately knew she said the wrong thing when Vor didn't answer immediately as she always does and only stared at her in bewilderment.

Hela shifted nervously.

It took a few more minutes of silent staring before Vor finally spoke again, "Norns, you _are_ serious."

"What?" Hela could only stare wide-eyed in confusion.

"Child, do you not know the identities of your own mother and father?"

"I know they are the King and Queen of this kingdom."

"Yes, but their names?" Vor prompted impatiently.

Hela opened her mouth to reply before immediately shutting it. Huh. Why _did_ she never ask them their names? She only ever called them Mother and Father and it probably seemed embarrassing to ask for the names of her own parents. Though it didn't really help that all the servants just called them either 'My King/Queen' or 'Your Highness.' "I suppose I never really asked."

"And no one informed you? Though I do suppose you are too young for a history lesson." Vor murmured that last part to herself, and Hela pretended not to hear. "Child, you are not simply the daughter of a King and Queen, you are _the_ daughter of King Odin Borson and Queen Frigga Freyrdottir. Tell me you do not know who they are and _we will have_ _words_."

Hela's jaw only dropped open in response.

Vor rolled her eyes and continued, "The words and phrases I tell you during our lessons are real; I do not even know why you think they are just myths. Vanaheim is one of the Nine Realms of Yggdrasil, the World Tree, and Heimdall is our kingdom's Gatekeeper and guardian of the Bifrost."

"A-And what…" Hela forced herself to swallow, the words almost lodging in her dry throat. "And what is our k-kingdom called…?"

Vor could only gaze at her in confusion and slight exasperation, "Our kingdom is called Asgard, and you are her Princess. Though I am beginning to doubt that, especially with your lack of knowledge about these things."

And just like that, her whole world came crashing down.

 

**…**


	2. Your Move, Norns

Vor, goddess of wisdom and knowledge, mentor to Odin in his youth, and guardian of every hall of knowledge within the Nine Realms, is getting too old for this.

She watched as her young student, Princess Hela of Asgard, swayed dangerously in her seat, her green eyes wide with shock and disbelief. It seemed she did not truly know her own parents' identities, or even the kingdom she is expected to rule one day, though it seems she knows _of_ them, or she would not react so violently. Did no one truly inform her of these things?

Vor made a mental note to have a word with Odin. That man is not yet old enough to avoid a scolding from his own mentor.

And they had been making such quick progress in her lessons too. In what should have taken a normal Aesir child _centuries_ to learn, the princess only mastered in just a few years.

Vor had been surprised at first by the King and Queen's order for her to teach the princess at such a young age – barely five years old! – but ultimately agreed. She found herself growing curious as to what kind of person her former student's daughter would be. And suffice to say, she is not disappointed.

The child is brilliant and very eager to learn, which are qualities Vor values and expects her students to possess. However, the princess is still understandably ignorant in some things. Though at her pace and with the attitude she has towards her lessons… if she didn't know any better, it is as if Hela is learning how to do things she already _knew_. And that information both surprised and confused her.

For instance, she _already knew how to speak_ , but the words she uses are, frankly, not appropriate for her position. The only thing left to do is teach her how to speak _formally_. The same with her mannerisms. Not to mention the fact that she somehow as a mouth worse than a barbarian. (Vor made a mental note to mention this to Odin also. It would not do to have the princess of Asgard speak like a common ruffian.)

Hela confuses her, but she has never met a more dedicated and curious child. And despite knowing better, Vor finds herself growing fond of the girl.

Though at the moment, the girl is trying her patience.

"Ask, child. It is tiring to see you so quiet when we both know you are almost _bursting_ with curiosity." She gestured almost lazily for her to speak. "Besides, I told you not to hold back."

However, whatever Vor expected she would ask, this is not it.

"Are we at war with Jotunheim?" The Princess abruptly blurted.

Vor stared. "We are not."

Hela almost deflated in her relief, and Vor found herself at a loss, and she absolutely _hated_ not knowing things. "Why do you think we should be at war with Jotunheim?"

Hela instantly stiffened, "Nothing! It is silly of me, forget I asked."

Vor gazed at her unimpressed. "You are a terrible liar, child."

The Princess only shook her head frantically, eyes pleading with her to drop the subject. It is against her very nature, but Vor agreed to stop her pursuit of information. Though she would come back to it at a later time, mark her words.

She waited patiently for Hela to gather her thoughts; the young princess looking, for the lack of a better word, _stressed_ out of her mind, which is a bit of an overreaction, in Vor's opinion. Knowing the Allfather is your father is not _that_ shocking.

Her next question caught her off guard yet again, "I do not have siblings, do I?"

"Not that I know of." Now it looks like Hela did not know whether to look relieved or alarmed. Vor still cannot figure out what is the matter.

"S-So… my father is really Odin, the warrior who conquered the Nine Realms, the King of Asgard, the creator of Yggdrasil, the _Allfather_?"

"Yes, although he did not create Yggdrasil – _but that is a lesson for another day_ – and he has not conquered any realms yet, though I _do_ suspect he plans to do so soon. That man has always been too ambitious for his own good." That last part she muttered under her breath.

"So…" Hela continued hesitantly, Vor patiently waiting for her to gather her thoughts. "So is Hela Odinsdotter my full name then?" _(Pronounced: daughter)_

"It is pronounced Odins _dottir_." ( _dott – ir)_ Vor corrected automatically, "And yes, it is."

To her surprise, the princess promptly swore and slumped fully in her seat, determinedly ignoring Vor's harsh glare, her wide eyes staring blankly at the ceiling. "May I be excused?"

Vor took pity on her. "Our lesson is adjourned. Rest, Princess."

Hela needed no further prompting and fled, leaving Vor to nurse a headache the likes of which she has not felt since Odin's youth.

 

**…**

 

This is the first time Hela didn't heed Vor's advice, and she feels nervous. Knowing Vor, she'll just _know_. But she needs answers, and asking Vor any further will cause her to become suspicious. And if Hela is right about this, she needs to be _absolutely_ _careful_ not to say the wrong thing.

Hela knows she still appears shaken and scared out of her mind, judging by the worried looks the servants and attendants shot her in the halls, but she couldn't pay them any attention even if she wanted to.

And so, with only sheer strength of will and determination guiding her footsteps, she headed straight to the library after her postponed lessons and pulled the nearest book and began.

The longer she read, the more she felt like a complete naïve idiot. She had not bothered visiting the library ever since that day; the mountains of books Vor is making her read for their lessons occupying too much of her time already. However, with her new ability to read runes, she can finally see that most of these books spoke of a realm called Asgard, which is a part of the Nine Realms that comprises the World Tree Yggdrasil. It details the land, its people, and its culture and history. A detail that had apparently been staring her in the face for _years_ now.

Come to think of it, she doesn't even know her exact age in Asgardian terms yet. It's not like she's keeping track of it.

Oh god, isn't it mentioned that Asgardian lifespans lasts as long as _five thousand years_?!

 _Could_ she live for five thousand years without going – hopefully not – _insane_?

Absorbing it all, Hela numbly brought it down before pulling another book off the shelf. This one details one of the Nine Realms, a world called Muspelheim, which is composed mainly of fire and heat. Their residents are called the Fire Giants.

The book trembled in her grip when she put it down, and she pulled more books and skimmed through them. One book spoke of Vanaheim, one of Midgard – _she felt a flash of homesickness_ – one of Jotunheim – _she felt a spark of_ dread – and more until she has completely emptied the shelf. She felt anxious, but quickly shook it off. More… she has to find out _more_!

Walking towards a shelf several feet away from the last, Hela began pulling out a book again and skimming it. This time, the tomes in this bookshelf detailed things like war, death, and skirmishes in Asgard throughout the years.

Hela made a mental note to come back to that later, before heading to the librarian and asking for a book about the history of Asgard, as she should have done in the first place. After a "Yes, Your Grace," the librarian immediately handed her a thick tome.

Thanking her, Hela hurriedly went to a table and began reading through it.

 

**…**

 

_This must be a joke._

Hela reread the passage and laughed at the absurdity of it. This _cannot_ be real. Vor must be lying. Or the librarian must have given her the wrong book. After all, why would a realm called Asgard, which is just a place from Norse mythology, be included in the history of the world?

She asked for history and facts, not stories about Norse mythology.

And yet, Vor had no reason to lie. Second, the book even plainly says 'History of the Nine Realms: Asgard'. Third, Vor had no reason to lie. And lastly, Vor – _trustworthy, honest, and wise Vor_ – had _no reason to lie._

That was when all the pieces began to click in a frightening way.

All this time… she had just assumed that all those remarks and passing comments about Norse mythology by Vor and her parents were just that, remarks. When she encountered it in books, she thought it's just a part of her reading lessons, or she is either in a kingdom in Scandinavia where Norse mythology originated, and never took those remarks seriously.

She _had_ been suspicious when she first found out that her name is Hela, but ultimately dismissed it as absurd. Someone like _her_ , reincarnating as an all-powerful _goddess_? That is just ridiculous. But now that she knows, she now realized that she had dismissed and ignored everything that could let her know that she _is_ Hela her whole second life. She was _that_ deep in denial.

How could she even reincarnate as a goddess in the first place? Isn't that usually the other way around? Myths she read always has some form of otherworldly being or a god falling to the Earth and learning to mingle with mortals. There is not a single story of a mortal becoming a _god_.

Oh god _,_ what if Hela is somehow her past life and her previous life is actually her _future_?!

She didn't notice that she was beginning to hyperventilate before she heard someone trying to talk to her and calling for help. Hela stared as the librarian knelt beside her worriedly, "–lease Princess, are you all right? Do you need me to call the healers?"

Hela tried to calm her breathing, knowing that she is probably overreacting but is still too stunned to care. It is not every day a person finds out they are easily one of the _evilest and most powerful_ beings to live in the history of _ever_. "I-I am fine, do not worry. This will pass."

The librarian still looked hesitant. "Are you certain? Perhaps we should wait for the healers' assessment–"

"No! I am truly well. Call off the healers." Hela told her, her commanding tone sounding odd coming from her childlike voice. "Thank you for your concern, though."

And with that, Hela left the concerned librarian, fled the library, and headed straight for her rooms.

 

**…**

 

Hela Odinsdottir.

 _'Hela Odinsdottir'_ , Vor said her name was.

She felt incredibly embarrassed and dumb for just realizing what really happened after _who knows how many_ _years_ of living in this place.

In some sick twist of fate, or most probably as a source of cruel entertainment for the Norns, she had been reincarnated as Hela Odinsdottir, who is ironically, the Goddess of _Death_.

Hela, who is also known in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a powerful evil being who conquered Asgard and the other Realms. A powerful evil being who has been banished from Asgard for being too unstable and bloodthirsty by her own father, which led her to rule the Realm of the Dead, where the despicable and dishonorable people go when they die. Lastly, and probably the most important fact of all, she is Thor and Loki's _older sister._

She had hoped that perhaps Vor had just misspoken, or Hela herself had gone temporarily deaf. It is the first time she heard the name 'Hela' and found herself completely frightened of it.

Finally reaching her own rooms, Hela closed the door firmly before letting the dam loose. She laughed and laughed and laughed until tears came unbidden in her eyes and her lungs started protesting from the lack of air. She collapsed on her knees, crawled towards a large mirror, and sat in front of it with her knees tucked up against her chest, her eyes wide as it all finally started crashing down.

This is real. This is her life now, and her name is now Hela.

She took a deep breath, and hugged herself tightly.

Hela Odinsdottir is not her original name, nor is it her first choice if she is truly reborn into the world of Marvel. She could have dealt with being Shuri, Scarlet Witch, or even Darcy Lewis. All of those characters are female and have the least terrible pasts of all. She would have been satisfied with that. But knowing that she is reborn as a character destined to be evil and surrounded by death? How could anyone _not_ lose their minds?

Why did this happen? _How_ did this happen? What could she have possibly done to deserve this? She does not worship nor believe in any gods, and then she suddenly wakes up and finds herself as the Norse goddess of death? This is nothing but a cruel joke. Just because she died while watching a Marvel movie doesn't automatically mean she becomes a character in said movie! If so, everyone would be killing themselves just to get the chance. And she refuses to think she is special enough to garner the right attention from the right people.

But even so, the Norns have to be responsible. She could think of no other gods who has the ability to do what happened to her. Odin probably could, but she cannot imagine he'll do that to his only daughter (she desperately tried not to think about Thor's banishment, Loki being abandoned, adopted, his identity kept secret from him, and his consequent treachery and malevolence, all of which happened because of Odin's neglect.) and Frigga would be on his case if he _was_ the culprit. That is, assuming she knows.

However, she cannot think of a way to contact the Norns. What would she even say if she managed to contact them? Return her to her original body? Her body is probably dead at this point. Even _she_ knew that. So really, the logical side of her knows that the best way to do this is to continue living on. And that means trying to accept this change.

'Hela' slowly brought a trembling hand to her – _brown, it should be brown! –_ jet-black hair; touching the short but silky strands before moving on to her – _fair!–_ pale face, her complexion so light it resembled marble. She has the form of a child, barely six or seven years old by Earth's standards, but her body is not the chubby thing most children possess. Instead, she is small and skinny. Everything about her appearance screamed **_wrong_** _!_ and she couldn't help but feel disturbed wearing someone else's skin.

Years of looking into the mirror, and it is only now she realizes that she _does_ look like a younger version of Hela in the movies. And thinking back, does Odin and Frigga _not_ look like their own respective actors as well?

It really seems like her stupidity knows no bounds if she missed something as _obvious_ as that.

As a last resort, her trembling fingers slowly made their way into her eyes, parting her eyelids to reveal the colors of her irises.

Green.

Hela immediately felt her eyes water and obscure her vision, but it mattered not. What matters is that _there is still a part of her real self that stayed._ She didn't know if this is the real Hela's eye color, but what does it even matter if she is now Hela herself?

She knows she said Hela is an interesting villain. But nothing could change the fact that Hela is evil. A _monster_ in the loosest sense of the word. Hela massacred almost all the Asgardians… an _entire_ race! Worst of all, Hela doomed them all and began the series of events that eventually led the remaining Asgardians to Thanos himself.

Is she also expected to do all those things?

No, she is her own person, there is no evil Hela lurking within the depths of her mind that could control her thoughts and actions.

Her mind is her own. _Hers_.

She almost laughed aloud, too relieved and shaken beyond words. She tried desperately not to think about the fact that she might be wrong, and the real Hela is within her, just biding her time to strike.

But even if she is, she won't give her that chance. Just because she was named Hela doesn't mean she _should_ be Hela. There is no reason for her to act like an evil and bloodthirsty goddess of death. She could just be her normal, ordinary self. No one is asking her to be Hela, and if things go her way, no one would even know that there _used_ to be an evil Hela.

Her mind is her own. And she is _free_.

The laughter that sounded after was too hysterical to be mistaken for anything else.

 

**…**

 

After that realization, she waited a few more moments to calm herself and remove any traces of tears in her face, before she finally decided to leave her rooms.

Night had already fallen, but she didn't care. She needed to see for herself.

Wandering the palace, Hela marveled at the structure that she had previously taken for granted. The whole place is _vaguely_ similar to the Asgard in the movies, but what they had failed to truly capture was the fact that it was _enormous_ and incredibly luxurious. It is frankly too good to be true, and she half expects herself to wake from this horribly realistic dream, but it never happened. She is really here in Asgard, her new parents are really Odin and Frigga, and her name is really Hela Odinsdottir.

However, accepting her identity had just been the first step; learning to live with it is another. The name 'Hela' is mainly associated with bad things. Especially with her role as a villain in the MCU. She is determined not to become a monster and murderer like the real Hela had been. But the realization is still hard.

Perhaps the only good thing about this is that being Hela means growing up alongside her future siblings and protecting them from their fates as best as she could. If she could just do that, then she will gladly continue this farce for as long as she could.

She always had a soft spot for Thor and Loki ever since she first watched the Thor movies. Out of all the Avengers, Thor fascinates her the most. However, out of all the villains and every single character in the MCU, Loki will always be her favorite. Some might even say she had a crush on him and his real life actor, but now she felt a bit horrified at the idea. If she is Hela now, then Loki will be her younger _brother_. Never mind if he is adopted, that is just _wrong_!

She forced herself to get rid of that thought. She is going to be their elder sister. Any sign of infatuations _has got to go!_

Shaking her head, she released a breath and shoved that thought where the sun doesn't shine. Alright, first order of business, forget that whole crush thing! She doesn't need that complication in her life.

Second, further learn and master how to read and write. She could already understand everything well enough and could write the language through years of constant practice with the help of Vor, but she needs to _perfect_ that skill. Knowing how to read and write impeccably will be an advantage if she were to start navigating this world.

Though that does lead her to question just how she can speak their language fluently but she cannot _read_ them. Is it perhaps the result of the Allspeak? She should probably look into that further.

Third is to ask her parents to teach her how to fight. It is a fundamental part of this world and one she is confident her parents would not reject. After all, the future Queen of Asgard should know how to defend herself.

Hela stiffened. _Wait_.

Oh my god, _she_ is to become the future _queen_?

They don't even need an evil Hela, make _her_ the queen and Asgard is _doomed_.

Hela snorted at the mental image, the brief moment of humor helping her mind calm. All right, worry about that later. For now, it is important to know how to defend herself. She isn't blind to the plights of royalty. Assassination attempts are a given, because some people always want royals dead no matter how good or respectable they are. Self-defense is a necessity, but if she went further and became a _warrior_ , well, who can stop her?

Besides, she knows women in medieval times are often regarded as housewives and, in the simplest of terms, only a means to have child, but she will never allow herself to be treated as such. She will learn how to fight and defend herself, not to become a trophy to be paraded around. Besides, the real Hela knew how to fight, and is even stronger than both Thor and Loki combined. That alone lets her know she ought to learn how to do it too.

She suddenly perked up, eyes widening when she realized another obvious detail she missed.

Hela is still a child, she hasn't turned evil or imprisoned yet, so that means... the Valkyries are still alive!

She visibly vibrated with excitement. Meeting Brunnhilde would be so awesome! She seems to be a great person to hang out with. And since they are alive, then perhaps women are not yet treated as badly like in Sif's time in Asgard.

Speaking of which, when she finally meets Loki, Thor, Heimdall, and the Avengers (not necessarily in that order), she can definitely die happy (and hopefully not get reincarnated again. Once is enough.) 

All right, getting off-track here. Now, the fourth thing to do is to start learning magic or seidr. She must have it, since the real Hela can conjure weapons out of thin air. Besides, it is wise to start broadening her horizons and gathering knowledge. According to what she knows about Asgard and Loki's history, women are more accepted to learn magic than men. This will not raise any questions. Besides, what kind of sane person refuses _magic_?

Mind made up, she decided to start asking for magic lessons from her parents as soon as they agreed to the first two.

Fifth, she will begin learning how to navigate court and political life. Being the first daughter and princess means she will undoubtedly have some responsibilities. If the previously oaf-like and stubborn Thor before his banishment can do it, then so can she.

She doubts she would ever be as clever as Loki, but she refuses to lose to Thor in terms of intelligence. Sorry future brother.

And sixth… she promises to do her absolute best into guiding her future siblings away from the horrible fate that awaits them. She will be the best sister she could be. She will never let either feel neglected, especially since she knows neglect is the root cause of all the problems in their family.

They haven't been born yet but she already loves them like her own brothers. The idea is strange but very welcome.

She exhaled.

She is now Hela Odinsdottir, firstborn child of Odin Allfather and Frigga Allmother, and the true heir to the throne of Asgard. And if fate persists, she will also be known as the Goddess of Death, Asgard's Executioner, and Thor and Loki's elder sister and self-appointed protector.

And she fully accepts this role.

_Your move, Norns._

 

**…**

 


	3. The Gatekeeper, The Commander, and The Queen

Hela gently pulled on the reins and guided Dagny– a lovely and playful white foal her parents gifted her after she finally completed her horse-riding lessons – to a slow trot, taking her time observing her surroundings and stroking her mount affectionately on her neck. This is the first time she rode somewhere that is not the riding grounds, and she is relieved that Dagny reigned in her own enthusiasm for being let out the palace for what she knows is the first time.

Hela _loved_ Dagny the moment she laid eyes on her, and was overjoyed when the horse easily returned her affections. Dagny is young still, but Hela has no doubt that the foal will grow up to be a powerful warhorse, and a valuable ally in the coming battles.

Dagny nickered as Hela guided her to stop in front of the huge structure before them and dismounted. Hela stroked her one more time on the snout for the trip, before turning to enter the Observatory.

She immediately felt her mouth fall open in awe as she took in the sheer size of the structure and the beautiful rainbow bridge she just crossed. It is something she has only ever seen on screen and in her imagination. She never imagined that she would see the _Bifrost_ itself with her own eyes. And words cannot describe how beautiful and _ethereal_ it really looks.

She tried her best to take everything in, however, the overwhelming feeling of someone boring their gaze at the back of her head made her reluctantly tear her eyes away from the colorful bridge to instead land on the figure of a huge man standing in the middle of the chamber, his whole body encased in intimidating golden armor.

Heimdall, the all-seeing and all-hearing guardian of the Bifrost.

She grinned so wide it hurt. She had asked ( _begged_ ) her mother earlier that day for permission to visit the Observatory and the Bifrost bridge. Meeting Heimdall in person is an opportunity she won't pass up and she could not wait any longer.

At first, Frigga wanted to accompany her, but Hela insisted that she is old enough now and could already take care of herself; besides, the Observatory is only a short ride away on horseback from the palace, and Heimdall sees _everything_. Therefore, he'll definitely know ahead of time if she is in any danger so she's as safe as she can possibly be.

That argument swayed Frigga, and she smiled. "My clever girl." She murmured before calling out. "Good Heimdall, I ask you to watch over my daughter as she journeys to you."

There isn't any visible change, but Frigga nodded after a few moments of silence and proceeded to send her off.

And now here she is, standing awkwardly by the entrance in front of the stoic Gatekeeper who remained unmoving from his position in the dais. Behind her, the rainbow bridge _hummed_.

She resisted the urge to shift nervously as their gazes locked on each other, bright green meeting gold. Though the difference was that his eyes are unreadable while hers is almost _bursting_ with curiosity. Still, she did not speak and could only stare at him in wonder.

Heimdall only stared back.

"Your Highness." He inclined his head after the silence became too awkward.

At his words, Hela quickly remembered her manners and curtsied. "Nice to meet you, Lord Heimdall."

"You are my princess, and I am just a guardian; there is no need for formalities." He informed her, though his golden gaze is now kind and almost amused.

"Heimdall." Hela acquiesced. She still cannot help but stare at him though. Here in front of her is one of the most recognizable figures in the MCU. Heimdall, The One Who Sees All. And Hela found herself fangirl-ing quite a bit. "Is it true you can see _everything_?" She blurted out.

He nodded. Even now, he looks like a statue, standing unwaveringly with his large golden sword held in front of him. He is a large man, and indeed has dark skin like in the movies. However, there is still one thing the movies cannot possibly replicate no matter how hard they try.

His golden eyes.

Even from afar, the color is unmistakable. Hela's own eyes widened as their gazes locked and she found herself drawn into the bright golden orbs and into after-images of the Nine Realms of Yggdrasil itself. It is only then that she realized she is staring into the _only_ pair of eyes that can see entire worlds, nebulae, and the beings that lived in them in its entirety. Words cannot capture how mesmerizing and beautiful his eyes truly were, and Hela found it quite hard to stop herself from blatantly staring even though it's rude.

As beautiful as his eyes were, Hela felt a spark of nervousness. She knows he could not possibly see or know her thoughts, but she still felt worried that he might find out her true identity just by looking into her eyes and seeing a completely different person behind it.

Still, her curiosity knows no bounds. Hela placed a hand behind her back and held up two fingers. "How many fingers am I holding up?"

Heimdall raised an eyebrow and answered dutifully. "Two, Your Highness."

Hela covered the hand behind her back with her other. She then held up a finger. "How many now?"

Heimdall's beautiful eyes now glinted in amusement, but he still humored her. "One."

She stared at him in awe, and proceeded to say in the most genuine voice possible, "You are _amazing_ , Heimdall."

The Gatekeeper looked completely stunned for a moment, his already rigid stance tensing even more. After a while, he relaxed, and his voice now held a touch of warmth. "I thank you, my princess."

"Hela," She grinned up at him, "Call me Hela."

They both know he cannot do that, difference in ranks and all that, but she likes to think he appreciated the thought.

"So," she continued, her eyes almost glittering with excitement. "How exactly does the Bifrost work? And do you not get tired of standing all day?"

 

**…**

 

Heimdall, The All-Seeing Guardian of the Bifrost, watched silently as Asgard's Princess insisted on walking back instead of riding her horse across the bridge. She claimed she wanted to observe how the bridge works and see over the edge properly, both of which she cannot do on horseback. Before she left though, she gave him one last bright smile, one he is hard-pressed not to return.

She might still be young, but he can already tell that her curiosity, intelligence, and kindness will shine as brilliantly as the brightest star he has ever seen among the branches of Yggdrasil.

It also does not hurt to admit that her honest praise immediately endeared him to her. Heimdall then decided that he would watch her closely from now on. Her kindness might _just_ be what Asgard needs during these troubling times.

 

**…**

 

She practically skipped back after a riveting and highly informative discussion with Heimdall, noting that the gatekeeper looked almost relieved to see her off after her endless stream of questions. She knows she can be quite a handful when curious, but Vor has said often enough that holding back questions leads to ignorance, which will eventually lead to her death if she's not careful _(Vor can be pretty cynical at times)_ , and frequently encourages her to ask if she wants to know something. And she _definitely_ wants to know how the Bifrost bridge works.

She never thought about it back then, but the Bifrost can transport a person to other realms _several_ _light years_ away from Asgard in just over a minute or two. If anyone on Earth even has a device capable of trying that, she knows that person will be ripped apart or basically fade into nothingness. It is _just not possible_ , but then again, this is magic. Defying the laws of physics is definitely in the job description.

An interesting tidbit she found out was that Heimdall doesn't actually need sleep. He didn't elaborate on it, and Hela instantly knew that this is somewhat of a trade secret and couldn't blame him for keeping silent. After all, who would want a child knowing all your secrets and other invaluable information?

He doesn't need sleep, but he has _break times_ , which makes sense. After all, one cannot be expected to stand around all day and night watching the realms in the entire World Tree without feeling the least bit tired or hungry. However, those times are confidential, since it will be a serious security breach in Asgard's defenses if someone finds out when Heimdall leaves his post, and so Hela refrained from asking anything more about the subject.

She didn't know why she felt so surprised that Heimdall has break times, since he never seemed to leave the Observatory, but she supposes it makes sense. If the great and all-powerful Odin can feel tired, then Heimdall can damn well feel it too.

Hela hummed and tugged on Dagny's reins, slowly guiding her across the Bifrost as she strolled around. Seeing the rainbow bridge up close instead of the view on horseback is quite a sight. She watched intently as the colors of the rainbow bridge pulsed around her feet with every step she took. The bridge looks and feels like colored glass, but she figured it is more like a material similar to crystal but stronger. It has to be if it can resist the mighty blows of Mjolnir.

One might expect that the bridge is slippery or smooth because it looks like a crystal; however, it is actually quite rough. This makes walking on it not too much trouble, but there are no handrails so there is still every chance that she might fall off. Heimdall is always watching, though, so she knows she's safe.

Hela curiously peered over the edge, and her eyes bulged at the sheer drop below. She is normally not afraid of heights, but that sight almost did her in. Underneath the Bifrost bridge is an _ocean_ , with the water flowing off the edge of Asgard itself. She knows this world is flat, not a round and sphere-like planet like Earth, so how does gravity work when there is no core or magnetic fields to keep her feet on the ground? And where does the ocean even fall to, _space_?

So many questions, and she absolutely _delighted_ in trying to answer them all.

Later though, Herryk is waiting.

 

**…**

 

"You are late."

Hela almost rolled her eyes but restrained herself. The other trainees paused in their katas and stances and watched warily as the Princess of Asgard faced off against the Commander of Asgard's Armies, the latter looking absolutely pissed.

Hela inwardly cackled with delight.

Herryk became her fighting instructor when Hela had finally expressed interest in learning how to fight and becoming a warrior. Her parents opposed it at first, saying that she was still too young to worry about those things (her mother), and asking her if she was sure she wants to do that instead of befriending girls her age and completing her studies with Vor first? ( _Still_ her mother.)

Frigga had obviously looked concerned with Hela's request to learn how to fight because of how young she is. Hela too would hesitate in allowing her 'daughter' to go off fighting when she could be learning how to dance or something. Odin, however, looked _pleased_.

"My daughter," Hela turned to her father, who looked like he already knew her answer, but still added his piece for the worried Frigga's benefit. "Self-defense is certainly an essential skill the royal family must acquire. Nevertheless, what you are proposing is to train not just to defend yourself, but to become a full-fledged _warrior_. You are still quite young; I assure you that they will _not_ go easy on you." Odin raised an eyebrow, "Moreover, do you not wish for a chance to lead an untroubled life first before already trying to bear the full responsibilities of someone in your position? You have been diving head-first into your lessons like a starving man would to a feast."

Hela almost raised an eyebrow at him; if she wasn't already an adult, half of those words wouldn't even make sense to a child. Perhaps it was a test to see how far she'd come in her studies. Nevertheless, Hela didn't waver in her decision and only grinned confidently at them both. "Yes Father, I am sure. I enjoy all my lessons, adding one more will not be a problem."

Odin nodded in approval. Frigga still looked uncertain, "Hela, are you certain you would rather be doing this instead of playing with the other children? I am sure you will find many friends once you finally decided to talk to them." She said this in a resigned tone that already knows Hela wouldn't do it. Her mother had already tried setting her up with play dates, but Hela had found that interacting with children who does nothing but suck up to her because of her status doesn't end well. For them, not her.

It took a few more moments of persuading, but at last, Hela finally got her mother's consent, with the promise that she'll try to socialize more with other children her age. They had debated on sending her off to train with the Valkyries ( _her heart jumped at her throat at the name),_ but Odin eventually decided that swearing the Valkyries' oath of eternal service would completely impede with her role as the heir to the throne and dropped the idea. Instead, she would train with the other boys under one of Asgard's war commanders.

And with that, she was finally assigned to Commander Herryk who, unlike Vor, is completely insufferable, irritating, and quite blatant with his bigotry towards women. It turns out that misogyny exists even in the Valkyries' time. Herryk had clearly expressed that women warriors like the Valkyries are not as superior in battle as Asgard's army.

With such obvious prejudice, it didn't exactly help that she was the only girl amongst the new recruits. Just because of that, Hela absolutely delights in making his life a living hell.

Another thing is that Herryk does not like seidmadr. Period. He considers them as tricksters, cowards, or even cheaters for using illusions and spells instead of fighting the enemy head-on. It has caused several arguments to erupt between them numerous times, especially since Herryk found out about her interest in studying the art and proceeded to ban any use of seidr in their training. Since that day, Hela resolved to be the best fucking warrior and sorceress in the entire Nine. Middle fingers up your obvious discrimination, Herryk.

At present, she finally arrived after her trip to Heimdall's Observatory, and Herryk looked pissed. Actually, Herryk _always_ looks pissed, though the reason is probably because he's forced to train – _babysit, according to him_ – children instead of going to war with another realm. Sometimes, she can't help but notice that Asgardians takes their titles as a warrior race _very_ seriously. It always seems like that's all they ever want to do.

She would've demanded that her parents replace him with another instructor who is actually decent, but pride prevented her from asking. She just _knew_ Odin would take it as a sign of weakness, and probably stop her training completely. He probably chose Herryk because of his attitude to test her determination to see this through.

Well, she'll prove him wrong.

"I was just in the Observatory visiting Heimdall with the Queen's permission." She informed him coolly, "You can confirm it with them."

"I do not care where you have been, I only care about the fact that you are late." Herryk's eyes narrowed at her unimpressed look. "I am sure you know how to tell time, yes? You could have visited Heimdall early morning or late afternoon, when it would not interfere with our lessons. My life does not revolve around you, Princess, so stop wasting my time." He then whirled around to confront the watching trainees who visibly jumped in surprise. " _And who said you could stop?_ Fifty laps around the arena _now_!"

The other recruits startled and basically began running for their lives, the sound of frantic footsteps slowly fading the farther they ran.

Hela glared at him throughout it all, but stayed silent. He _was_ right after all, since she only scheduled her visit to Heimdall at this time because it would piss him off. Doesn't mean she has to admit it. "Look, are we gonna start or not? Sometime this day would be nice."

Herryk scowled at her, "I do not know how you even acquired such informal or disrespectful speech, but you _will_ treat me with respect."

"I will respect you when you finally earn it." Hela shot back, "And we can start with you lifting that ridiculous ban off of seidr use."

Herryk glowered, his eye almost twitching at the mere mention of the word 'seidr'. "Absolutely not! I will not allow such tricks and cowardly behavior to be present in _my_ training grounds."

"It is _not_ cowardly! Both the King and Queen uses seidr, do you call them cowards too?" She accused.

"Odin at least recognizes that such an act is unfit for a King and chooses to be a warrior first, and as for the Queen, she is a woman. Her use is not ideal, but acceptable. You, on the other hand," He looked down on her, his eyes narrowed to slits. "You might be a girl, but you are also training to become a warrior, and a warrior has no time for such tricks. I have already been lenient with you. If it were my way, I would have forbidden you from learning seidr completely, but the Queen insisted.

"If you cannot accept my rules, you are free to leave the training grounds. I care not."

Hela stared blankly at him, abruptly realizing that maybe she's gone too far. He doesn't usually rant like this, so either he might be in a very bad mood, or she is in fact, _wrong_.

No, of course not. Seidr is an important part of combat too, she doesn't want to become like one of those warriors who can only rely on their physical strength. There will always come a time when other unconventional methods are required to win a fight. Besides, the use of seidr in combat is something she's always wanted to do. It is a very invaluable skill, but it obviously looks like she cannot learn it here. Her own teacher snarls at the mere mention of the word 'seidr', for god's sake.

But maybe, if Herryk can't teach her, then she can teach herself. Provided she learn combat training under Herryk first. The fact that he's the best option because he's the commander is an opportunity she can't pass up, not even when he's acting like a prejudiced jerk.

"I apologize for my behavior, Commander." She bit out, resisting the urge to growl. "I will do better in the future."

Herryk only looked at her pinched expression, stiff stance, her glare, and huffed. "See that you do."

"Now," He tossed her a wooden sword that had been lying beside him in the weapon's rack. "Since you are late, then you must already know a _great deal_ about our lessons. Show me what you have learned."

Hela ignored the jibe in order to catch the weapon. She swung it experimentally, judging its weight and the feel of it in her hands, before taking a stance. Herryk crossed his arms and settled in to watch as Hela began moving through a series of forms and katas, each move timing with her breaths.

She had already learnt the basic forms of hand-to-hand combat and the sword, but there is still _so much more_ to learn, especially since she wanted to master other weapons as well.

She spun and swung the wooden sword in a wide arc, feet spreading apart and body bending down to an almost crouch. At that moment, the running trainees passed a few ways ahead of her, and she absently noticed two boys lagging behind the group, their gaits weak and tired. Now, she normally wouldn't mind it, but for just a moment, one of the boy's weary eyes met her confused ones with open curiosity and admiration.

She stared at his back as he passed. _What was that about_ …?

"I have seen bilgesnipes move faster and with far more precision than you."

She snapped back to reality and gritted her teeth, refraining from retorting back. Antagonizing Herryk will greatly hinder her progress, so perhaps it is time to behave and accept that he won't change his mind about seidr anytime soon.

_That is, provided she doesn't decide to kill him first._

 

**…**

 

Hela almost slammed the door to her quarters shut, her chest still heaving and her whole body drenched in sweat. Herryk was absolutely _brutal_ today, and it seriously made her rethink her earlier decision of making him wait. The poor guards she passed outside could only stare at her in sympathy, all of them knowing just how merciless the Commander of Asgard's Armies could be in training.

If only she could have been assigned to General Tyr, who she had heard was extremely fair as well as being the greatest warrior and tactician of the Realm Eternal after the Allfather. But he is always busy, so instead, she's stuck with stupid Herryk.

She began removing all the layers of sweaty clothes before she even reached the bedroom, tossing the dirty laundry in a corner carelessly. She didn't bother resting her aching body for a moment and promptly sank into the prepared bath, sighing in relief as the warm water with lovely scented oils soothed her sore muscles. She definitely missed using shampoo, soap, and conditioner, but the oils can also do a good, if not better, job in making her smell clean even after long periods of time.

Closing her eyes, she drifted off.

 

**…**

 

"Hela."

Hela, wet hair still clinging onto her neck and her body feeling much better, looked up from her book and saw Queen Frigga standing silently in the doorway, eyes warm and kind. "May I come in?"

"Of course, Mother."

She watched as her mother made her way to the other chair across from her own, before turning her attention back to her books when it was clear her mother was content to just sit there.

Meanwhile, Frigga silently observed her daughter's scrunched up face, her eyes locked on her book in deep concentration. The sight is adorable, but she's here for a more serious reason.

Hela is now past the equivalent of a twelve-year-old child in Midgardian terms – and since early childhood had already been subjected to various lessons about language, seidr, hand-to-hand combat, weapons training, law, politics, history, literature, and culture of the Nine Realms, horse-back riding, dancing, instrument playing, swimming, weaving, and more. Everything her instructors offered her, she soaked up like an eager sponge. While other children would request for a break, Hela is not like any other child.

It made the entire court wonder just why does the Princess of Asgard seems like she is preparing for the worst by drowning herself into her books and training. Odin is unconcerned, but Frigga is worried. She had looked at the tomes her daughter had been reading and found that most are about battle tactics, aggressive seidr techniques, and war. A normal child should not be worrying about those things, yet here they are.

Of course, she was proud that her instructors consider her daughter a prodigy. At four and she is already spouting topics and debates difficult and mature enough that her listeners could only look at her in shock and bewilderment. At seven, and horseback riding is not a problem for her anymore. At nine and she has already mastered the first few forms of combat. They found that she prefers the sword as a weapon of choice, and already arranged with master swordsmen such as Commander Herryk to start tutoring her.

Also at nine, she already began learning everything Frigga can teach her about the art of seidr. The process is still slow going, however, if the powerful bursts of seidr she can already produce suggested anything, it is that Hela would undoubtedly master it as well.

Court life, social life, talks, and proper royal etiquette might be the only thing Hela had difficulty in, though she would never admit that. 'It simply eludes me,' she had said upon being questioned. 'Royal etiquette is awfully restrictive, I hate it.' Frigga had assured her she can eventually master it, but her daughter just shot her a look that practically screams ' _I know something you don't.'_

Hela might be a prodigy that attends several lessons a day when most children her age could only ever think about play, but that does not mean she must continue acting like an adult. She is young still and must not trouble herself with the Realm Eternal's problems.

What puzzled Frigga is that she _had_ tried to get Hela to play and socialize with other children her age, but no one seems to hold her interest. It also does not help that the parents obviously instructed all of those children to sweet-talk and praise the young princess in everything she does in order to get in her good graces. (A fact Frigga knows that Hela realizes all too well.)

Still, Hela needs to talk to people her age. Her social life only really consisted of the servants, guards, her instructors, the occasional ministers she manages to corner to talk about politics, and perhaps Heimdall now. She has not even showed any interest in boys, something Frigga founds curious. Is this not the right age for children to develop interest in the opposite sex? (Or even the same sex. Anything her daughter wants, Frigga will not refuse her if it would bring her happiness.)

"Still having difficulties?" Frigga nodded her head to the book on court manners her daughter is currently reading.

Hela only sighed, "Court life continues to elude me." No matter how much she studied and practiced it, even now it seems that she still cannot grasp how to talk like a politician. She knows that if she ever opened her mouth during a conflict, it will probably only result against Asgard's favor. She will leave negotiations to her future younger brother, thank you very much. She made a show of dropping her book with a _thump!_ "It's just a competition between the Lords on who can best lie and flatter the King in the realm."

"Not," she continued in a slightly sarcastic tone, "that I meant to indicate that Father can be lied and fooled. Of course not. Not at all."

"And _that_ is why you should learn how to properly talk in court. Such words can be considered treason if heard by the wrong people." Frigga admonished sternly, and Hela stared at her stubbornly. "I do not know where this dislike with your Father came from, but he is simply too busy with his duties and cannot spend as much time with you as I could."

And this is true. Odin has been working nonstop in order to preserve peace in the Nine. However, there are still rumors of revolts in Jotunheim, skirmishes in Vanaheim, and there is also the case of the rising hostility between Alfheim's Light Elves and the Dwarves in Nidavellir. On top of that, Odin is also ambitious enough to plan on starting a war that aims to conquer all beings and kingdoms of the Nine to swear fealty to Asgard and its ruler. An ambitious dream, one of which she cannot stop her husband from accomplishing no matter how much she reasoned with him.

With everything that has been happening, it is no wonder Odin cannot spare even a minute of his time to his only daughter. Though that is still not an excuse. While Odin has been enjoying his little campaigns of war, Hela is slowly resenting her father for his inattention, and Frigga fully plans on letting him know about that fact.

Hela scoffed at her words, and Frigga then realized that perhaps this is something deeper than simple resentment. "Forgive me, but we both know that isn't true. His duties mostly consist of hearing the Lords and Ministers drone on and on about senseless things. I think he can very much afford to spend some time with his family but just chooses not to." Hela glared at the wall behind her, and Frigga's eyes widened in surprise at the words she is spouting. "He has five thousand years to rule, he can certainly afford to spend an _hour_ with me."

" _Hela_!"

Her daughter turned to her with bitter eyes that slowly softened in regret, "I apologize, Mother." She grudgingly said, but made no attempt to negate her words.

Frigga's eyebrows furrowed and she leaned in, brushing a few dark strands from Hela's face. "Why do you think this, my daughter? Your Father loves you very much. He tries to make time for you, but war is almost upon us, and he has been busy trying to help all the Nine with their problems, to fortify Asgard's defenses, and make life better for the kingdom."

To her surprise, Hela only laughed bitterly, "Now I understand." She muttered so lowly Frigga almost didn't hear her. "Is that so, Mother?" She said aloud, "I, for one, would have already listed all my opinions on the matter if it weren't for the Good Heimdall listening in."

' _Oh Mother…'_ Hela smiled bitterly. _'I do not know if you know this or if you think the topic is not for the ears of a child, but the only reason war is upon us, is because Odin_ craves _war. The only realm he is respected in is Asgard, and he plans to become a conqueror and subjugate the rest of the Nine Realms so he can finally establish an empire and get the respect he 'deserves', possibly with me by his side. It is the beginning of a tragedy. One that would come true if not for…'_ Hela clenched her fists, ' _recent circumstances.'_

"We both know that the Good Heimdall is completely wrapped around your little finger." Oblivious to her depressing thoughts, Frigga smiled slightly at the memory she had watched from her scrying bowl of a bewildered but fond Heimdall answering the curious little princess's nonstop questions, before frowning again, "Though I agree your ' _opinions'_ should not be spoken out loud. Do not tempt the Fates, my daughter. Instead, learn to weave your words until no one can discern what you truly wanted to say. It may just save your life one day."

_In other words, lie._

Hela almost smiled, ' _No wonder Loki is such a brilliant Liesmith. He probably learned it from his Mother. Another thing the stories do not tell us.'_

"I thank you for the advice, Mother." Hela dipped her head, smile slightly rueful. "And thank you for ignoring this, Heimdall."

Silence greeted her words, but she knows the Gatekeeper heard. Frigga only hid a smile before quickly sobering up. "You never answered my question."

Hela sighed, before turning her head away to look at the window, "I just… I miss Father." _Not really._

Even though he is not nor will ever be her real father, Hela still feels the sting of abandonment. How much worse is it with Loki, who only ever believed that Odin is his real father? With her making the old man aware of his negligence to his child and future children, Hela could only hope that it will be enough.

Odin will never be a good father, but the least he could do is _try_.

Frigga's eyes softened. "I will speak with him," She promised, "He should not neglect his daughter, no matter what the problem with the realms are, family is most important."

Hela watched blankly as her mother gave her a comforting hug, one she reluctantly returned.

 _She could only hope her actions will be significant enough when it is Loki's turn to be neglected._ Even her thoughts are bitter.

"Now, knowing your true feelings about your father is good, since this means we can find a way to do something about it, but that is not exactly my purpose of being here."

Hela leaned back from her embrace, feeling a little uneasy from his change of topic. "Oh?"

Frigga smiled sadly at her, "Now, I understand you like to study. Have been since you were practically an infant, but that also means you are neglecting your own social life."

Hela now felt the beginnings of dread, "I am perfectly content with my current activities, Mother. You do not need to worry yourself."

Frigga shook her head, "You may say that now, but that is because you do not know any better. You are still young, and already, it is as if you already carry a huge weight on your shoulders. You have not yet truly experienced having people around your age to bond with, and you never tried to play with others or even to earn anyone's favor; and as such, you are missing out. Even now, most of Asgard thinks of you as her prodigious princess, certainly, but also terribly reserved and aloof. And we both know you are neither of those, my daughter." Frigga is visibly worried, and Hela suddenly felt guilty.

"But Mother, I truly am fine the way I am. I understand what you are saying, _I really do_. But I cannot get along with children. They are too carefree. I know I am not someone they can easily get along with, and the feeling is _mutual_. I promise I will do my best to make connections with the children of the lords soon, but not now. Besides," Hela gazed at her earnestly, "I value my studies and training too much to neglect them now."

"Oh Hela," Frigga sighed, "Do not be mistaken. I am _very_ proud of all of your accomplishments, but I also noticed that after finishing your lessons, you are frequently seen alone. You have no one to talk to or play with, and as such, you are not experiencing the childhood you deserve. There are plenty of chances to be an adult, especially since we live for over five thousand years, but there is not much time to be a child."

Hela looked at her conflicted, prompting Frigga to place a gentle hand on her cheek, "I am not saying you should give up your lessons; only that you try to find the time to socialize. And not just for political reasons. You are intelligent, my daughter. I know you understand this, and I am only hoping that you would at the very least give it a try."

Hela stared at her blankly, her mouth opening to protest but the words died in her throat at Frigga's imploring look.

At her silence, Frigga then stood, her bright smile making it obvious that she won. "Now, talk to the lords' children and your fellow trainees, I am sure you can find someone to befriend soon."

And with that, Frigga turned and left the room. Hela only watched her go, before slumping.

In truth, she does not want to spend her days trying to mingle with children when she could do something more important. She is already a grown woman; she has no interest in play or childish whims. Besides, there is nothing she can do that will interest kids, and vice versa. However, _her mother_ _insisted_.

Besides, isn't this the perfect opportunity to learn how to get along with kids? Thor and Loki may not be easy to handle, so she _definitely_ needs to practice. 

Sighing in defeat, Hela resolved to find someone to talk to in the morning so she could finally get this over with.

 

**...**


	4. Tyrkir and Ornulf

She had tried putting it off for as long as she could, but Frigga finally put her foot down. And so with a resigned sigh, Hela began the journey towards the training grounds the very next morning.

 _It isn't like she needed to find a friend right away_ , Hela told herself. _Frigga will understand that those things take time._ With that thought, Hela's mood gradually lightened and she began striding confidently towards the grounds.

The guards patrolling the corridors stood in attention as she approached, and Hela greeted them all warmly. She always made a point to talk to the guards, servants, and other personnel within the palace. If she were to become the future queen, then maintaining a good relationship with the staff would certainly help her in the long run.

The guards watching over the training grounds inclined their heads as she passed. Herryk was already there, as well as a good number of the trainees. Hela went to her place and, instead of immediately retreating to her own world; she began greeting everyone as she passed, venturing out of her own personal bubble for perhaps the first time in a long while.

It is no secret that Hela often keeps to herself in public, and so she wasn't surprised when everyone just stared at her in surprise. She felt saddened by this fact. She may be friendly to the palace staff, but remaining distant to her own people? That is now going to change. She had let this mistake go on for too long.

Observing her fellow trainees, Hela noted that more than one is sending her looks of barely feigned dislike. She is immediately taken aback, what could she have done wrong already?

Trying her best to ignore them, Hela searched for friendlier faces among the crowd. Some gazed at her indifferently (she'll leave them as a last resort), some smiled back uncertainly (she made sure to send them a friendly grin), but the last faces made her pause.

Two boys are presently huddled a few ways off the grounds, both fixing their leathers and protective guards hastily. It is clear that they arrived late; and the only reason they aren't receiving an earful from Herryk right now is because a boy arrived that was even tardier than them.

There was also another reason they caught her attention. She remembered that one of the boys had sent a look her way yesterday that intrigued her. He was the only one who looked at her without trepidation or distaste, and she finally decided to try her luck with him first.

Her thoughts are promptly cut off by Herryk's snarl of annoyance. "Next brat to arrive late shall clean the horse stables, and I am not talking about the royal ones!"

Hela winced, the stables are nasty, to say the least. Full of manure, awful smells, misbehaving horses... At least the royal ones are regularly kept clean by the handlers and servants, but the regular stables are a _nightmare_. The trainees immediately snapped to attention and waited for the next unfortunate soul to come stumbling unawares straight into the lion's den.

When it seemed like no one is going to arrive any time soon, Herryk promptly announced that they are going to spar against their fellow trainees today. Hela grinned, a typical training session then.

"I expect not to see any sort of blundering and fooling around, or it will be the stables for you!" Herryk definitely ruled with an iron fist, and everyone knew it. "No killing each other and use the wooden swords." Then he settled back and relaxed, as if those rules are enough. More than a few blinked at him in bewilderment. Hela rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Now go find a partner!" He barked.

Immediately, most of the boys paired with their friends. Seeing this, Hela wasted no time and immediately went and paired up with the boy from yesterday.

Said boy blinked in surprise, and his friend stared at her in wide-eyed confusion and disbelief. "P-Princess?" He asked uncertainly.

"Greetings," She shot him a friendly grin, "Would you care to be my sparring partner? That is… if you don't mind."

He tensed and glanced at his friend, obviously daunted by her sudden actions. Everyone knows that although the princess usually keeps to herself, no one can deny that she is skilled in training; even Commander Herryk acknowledged this a few times, albeit grudgingly. They both know how the spar would end.

On the other hand, Hela's heart slowly sank; perhaps she had been mistaken. It seems that no one wants anything to do with her after all. Nevertheless, after a moment, the boy visibly gathered himself and nodded. "N-No, of course not, Your Highness."

Hela grinned in relief, and noticed his friend send a reassuring look his way, before leaving to find a different partner. And with that, they took their positions.

"Begin!" Herryk called, and sounds of fighting immediately resonated in the training grounds.

As for the two of them, Hela decided to wait for him to make the first move. The boy remained frozen at her lack of movement, before quickly figuring out that she will be on the defensive and stiffly stepped forward. When she still showed no signs of moving, he finally decided to strike.

Hela's eyes narrowed as she blocked his frankly clumsy attempt. The boy looked resigned and hesitant still, but obediently swung his practice sword. Her body automatically moved to meet his heavy strikes and block them, and she frowned when he continued hesitating, but his swings remained strong. Is he hesitating because she's the princess?

"Please do not hesitate." She told him, and the boy flushed at being caught. "I do not mind. Truly."

The boy frowned, but dutifully obeyed her and went to the offense. He ducked down as she swung over his head, and tried to strike her side, which she immediately sidestepped and followed up with a quick thrust. He hastily brought up his weapon, and the wooden swords clashed. With that, Hela immediately felt his strength, as well as his overdependence on it.

It had been one of Herryk's teachings that she actually took seriously; strength is _never_ enough. Skill and speed does more in a fight than simply bashing your way through the battlefield.

He surged forward with a cry, and Hela took advantage of the large opening he left. She immediately spun around him before hooking her sword in his and abruptly wrenched it from his grip, disarming him with ease.

He panted as he shook his aching hand from the rough treatment. Hela relaxed before letting out a small smile, "Not bad. You could use some work with your stances, speed, and technique, but your strikes, while hesitant, are strong. If we work on it more, you will surely become formidable one day."

To her confusion, the boy's eyes – _warm brown, with a curious spark of intelligence behind them_ – blinked. "…We?" He echoed reluctantly.

Hela was suddenly filled with nervousness. Had she completely botched it up? She only wanted to compliment him; despite his admittedly poor skill and stance, everything she said was true. "Do you not want to?" She cursed herself for sounding so unsure, "I do not want to presume… I mean… is it all right for me to accompany you and your friend?" She cursed herself once more. Of all the times for her insecurity to act up!

"I… uh…" He turned to look at the other boy for help, and Hela suddenly noticed that he had already finished with his own spar. And defeated, by the looks of it. His friend made a 'go on' motion with his hands and the first boy froze. "We… would be honored to, Princess Hela." He finally replied, though his panicking eyes betrayed his true feelings on the matter.

Before she could take it back (she doesn't want to _force_ them to become her friend, for god's sake), his friend spoke up. "Are you sure, Your Highness?" He shrugged nonchalantly at her confused look. "I mean, Tyrkir and I are not exactly the most fitting companions for a princess." He obviously possesses none of the shyness of his friend, and Hela almost cracked a smile at his boldness.

"… _Ornulf_!" The first boy – apparently named Tyrkir – immediately hissed, and Ornulf winced, "I… ah… I apologize. I did not mean any offense."

"None taken." She assured them, "You are the first to speak to me without honeyed words. I do not mind. In fact, I prefer it if you continued talking like that."

Almost immediately, Ornulf grinned smugly at Tyrkir, who sighed in defeat. "As you wish."

"Well, since you already know who I am, I am at a disadvantage." Hela tried to defuse the tension by joking, but they still seem tense and she doesn't get why. "What are your names?"

Tyrkir looked to his friend for help before smiling uncertainly. "I am Tyrkir Vifilson, and this is Ornulf. We are honored to meet you, Your Highness."

 _Vifilson_ , Hela noted. _The son of the minister of law._ She remembered that he had been one of the ministers she liked to corner to ask questions about some of Asgard's laws. Some of them, she could find some loopholes. Some also portrays women in a negative light, and she wanted to know what he thinks. Thankfully, he didn't seem prejudiced. He revealed that creating laws requires hearing the various senators' opinions and votes before actually deciding anything. Basically, most of its creation are out of his hands.

Minister Vifil is a kind and intelligent man. He is actually pretty lenient despite his position. The Minister of Security, however, is strict and harsh. Especially since _he_ is the one who actually implements the laws the minister of law creates.

Now that he mentioned it, Tyrkir vaguely looks like his father. They both have the same dark brown hair that looked slightly ruffled, similarly colored eyes, and a reserved posture. He looks like someone who prefers to observe first before doing anything, which looked like the complete opposite of Ornulf who fidgeted nonstop as if he is itching to just blurt out anything his mind can think of and is only marginally silenced by Tyrkir's glares.

Ornulf, on the other hand, looks like a typical Asgardian; all blond hair and bright blue eyes that just seemed to _sparkle_ , and if that wasn't enough, he practically radiated energy like a little kid.

Hela carefully observed the two boys; one standing awkwardly and the other smiling without care. There are no signs of attempted flattery, or any kind of sweet talk and sucking up.

 _Very nice, for her first try_.

Hela perked up, "Does this mean we are–?"

" _You three_!" The two boys instantly jumped out of their skins, and Hela spun around in surprise as an irritated Herryk strode towards them. "This is not the time for play dating. Did you not hear me? I said run! And that includes you, princess!"

Hela resisted the urge to roll her eyes, "Yes, Herryk."

"Address me by my title!"

"Yes, Commander!" The two boys immediately shouted before she could even think of being sassy, both sending pleading glances her way. Hela silently agreed to drop it lest she makes them angry or worse. She doesn't want to lose them so soon.

" _What are you waiting for_?"

Both immediately scrambled to obey and ran. Hela stared after their backs for a moment before jogging after them, ignoring the glare threatening to burn a hole at the back of her head.

The training grounds are _huge_ , which makes running around the perimeter of it a favorite torture technique of Herryk's. Ten laps around it can make an ordinary person winded. Fifteen will make them lightheaded and dizzy, and twenty-five will already leave them dead on their feet. And Herryk usually wanted _fifty laps or more_.

This is why Hela can _sort of_ understand when already, Tyrkir is tiring after running for just fifteen laps.

Ornulf at least endured seven more before finally slowing down and matching Tyrkir's faltering pace. Hela could only stare, she hasn't even sweated yet. Though she guessed that assessment is a bit unfair. Mainly because Hela had already noticed during the first few years of living in this world that her body does not easily tire and has excellent endurance and stamina even _without_ any previous training.

Hela was stunned herself at the discovery. She hardly felt tired unless her body is pushed to its limits (which is often the case in Herryk's harsh training) It is almost as if this body is fated to be an active one, which felt odd whenever she _knew_ she didn't do any rigorous training but she can still potentially outrun the most seasoned men. She has learned ever since to just consider it one of the perks of this god-like body.

However, the two boys obviously lacked those qualities.

She refrained from talking to them though, knowing that it will only waste their breaths and slow them down even more, and only resolved to keep pace with them.

Soon enough, Tyrkir slowed to a walk, and his friend quickly followed. Knowing that not completing the assigned laps would incite Herryk's wrath but not particularly caring, Hela slowed down as well.

Tyrkir immediately noticed, "What are you doing?" He asked her in surprise, sweat beading his brow. "The commander will get mad at you!"

"We all know you can run a hundred laps more." Ornulf remarked, watching with wide eyes as she stopped completely and proceeded on doing cool-down exercises.

"Don't worry about me; this will just be another opportunity to annoy him." She grinned reassuringly at them, making the two blink in bewilderment. Honestly, an annoyed Herryk is the least of her worries right now, but they don't need to know that.

After a moment, Ornulf suddenly snorted, the loud sound making Tyrkir turn to him with an almost scandalized expression. "I almost forgot you liked provoking him every chance you get. Would the princess care to give a fellow trainee some advice?"

Hela laughed as Tyrkir looked as if he would very much like to face-palm, "Odin save me, now there are two of you."

Ornulf shoved him playfully on the shoulder, making him stumble. "Now, don't be like that. We both know that you have been watching the princess ever since she first provoked the commander and received nothing more than a slap on the wrist. Now _that_ is a skill many of us are absolutely _dying_ to have."

" _Ornulf_!" Tyrkir hissed, and he immediately looked apologetic.

Hela, meanwhile, kept grinning. "Herryk may be a jerk, but he is a _skilled_ jerk. I need his expertise for a while longer, but he is just so easy to rile up sometimes that I forget."

Ornulf practically cackled, "That he is!"

" _PRINCESS_!"

The two boys winced at the volume, but Hela only shrugged at them and turned to face the music.

It seems that she is successful with her task.

Frigga will be proud.

 

**…**

 

Considering how they have training every day, it is odd how Hela never has the time to approach the two boys again. She could only send a smile, one they always returned, and exchange a few words before being caught up into whatever training regime Herryk has for the day.

It is through those brief interactions that Hela got to know them even more. Her initial observation of Tyrkir is almost spot-on. He's reserved and quiet, only speaking out whenever he's with Ornulf. He also seems to deeply respect authority figures and royalty, and frequently scolds Ornulf for speaking out of turn. But perhaps the most remarkable thing about him is his intelligence. Undeniably, as a result of his father's influence, Tyrkir knows Asgard's laws inside, out, upside-down, and sideways.

On the other hand, Ornulf is the kind of person that makes her want to protect him. He's incredibly sweet and lively, but also has a daring and confident attitude. It seems he's just a son of an ordinary Asgardian citizen, and only came to the palace for the chance to train and become a guard.

Both of them aren't as well-known as the other trainees, who are sons of Lords, Ministers, and Generals, and so it makes sense that Hela never took notice of them. She regrets that now.

It's just a shame she can't get to spend time with them as much. They can't even meet after training. Ornulf always says that Tyrkir has to run off to do his 'duties' (Hela resolves to ask him what he does when she has the chance) and Ornulf himself can't stay for long because he has to take care of his sick mother.

Hela immediately offered him the help of the palace healers, but Ornulf stubbornly declined. His mother had been doing well already, so there is no need. She reluctantly backed down, and resolved to help immediately if she ever heard her condition worsen.

Not counting all that, Hela also has her own responsibilities to do. Lessons with Vor, the other instructors, and her Mother took up almost the entire day. The life of royalty is terribly busy; she doesn't know how Thor and Loki ever has the free time to do their adventures when they were young. Skipping lessons will be something Odin would highly disapprove of should he hear about it, and Hela didn't want his attention on her now. Nor ever.

However, the Norns seem to smile on her today. Vor postponed her lessons, saying she has an urgent business to take care of, and so she has free time. To her surprise, Tyrkir is given a break after doing his duties tirelessly (which she still doesn't know about) and Ornulf isn't expected back home until a few hours. It's the perfect opportunity, and Ornulf knew it.

He's dragging them through the palace before they made sense of what is happening, and he laughed as Tyrkir half-heartedly attempted to swipe at him. "Just follow me!" He led them through the halls, sidestepping servants and guards who just stared at the trio in confusion. Hela laughed along with him, oddly touched that he went and included her.

"I found a perfect spot to be our lair." Ornulf stage-whispered. "Since we have the princess in our group, we _have_ to have a secret lair!"

"You do know that I know every nook and cranny in this place, right?" Hela grinned, amused by his antics. Judging by the path they took, they are heading directly towards…

" _Shh_! Tyrkir still doesn't know!" Ornulf waved a finger her way and Hela obligingly shut up. Tyrkir just groaned. "Ornulf, don't point at the princess. It's rude."

"We're here!" Ornulf cheerfully ignored Tyrkir and presented the huge door. "Our new lair!"

Tyrkir opened the door and poked his head inside. "Oh…"

Hela poked her head next to his, "It's one of the unused lounges. Good choice, Ornulf."

" _Good choice_?" Tyrkir turned to her aghast, "Are we even allowed to use rooms in the palace? Surely not–"

"Sure. I'll ask my mother to let us use this room." Hela shrugged. "I'll say it's for me and my friends, she won't argue with that." Hela told them. She's pretty sure Frigga will be delighted to know she's going into such lengths for her new friends.

Tyrkir gaped while Ornulf clapped his hands once, "That's great!"

"Guess I'll ask the servants to redecorate it. We'll need books, tables, and comfortable couches. Those ones look terribly dusty and firm. I suppose a new set of curtains too."

Ornulf practically ran inside, "I'll light the fireplace!"

Hela glanced at Tyrkir, who was still gaping at them. "You all right?"

"I almost forgot that you're a princess and the Queen is your mother." He chuckled nervously, "Are you sure we're allowed to do this? No one would get angry?"

Hela grinned, happy instead of offended that he forgot her position so easily. Guess this means she's doing the friendship thing right. She doesn't want them to think of her as someone they only befriended only for the wealth and glory of royalty. "Of course we're allowed. No one ever uses these rooms, besides, the Queen would be delighted." The King, on the other hand, probably couldn't care less.

"Hey Hela," Ornulf's head popped out from behind the couch. "Can you get the servants to add a secret room to our lair? Just like in the stories of old!"

"You mean the ones with the hidden room behind the bookcase?"

"Ornulf!" Tyrkir hissed, "That's completely unnecessary. Besides, we shouldn't impose on their hospitality."

The boy pouted, while Hela only laughed.

A few minutes later, Hela had succeeded in sending off servants to get new furniture for their new abode and fixing the place up. Ornulf is practically jumping through the ceiling with his enthusiasm while Tyrkir helped the servants as much as he could.

"Thank you, my Lord." An elderly woman smiled kindly as Tyrkir assisted her with carrying a basin full of water. "These old bones aren't as strong as they used to."

Hela watched them, fighting the urge to smile. A light nudge on her side made her glance at Ornulf, and she stared in surprise at his reluctant gaze. "Your Highness… I-I just wanted to say thank you. I know this probably seems a simple thing to you, but for us, this is indeed too much." He breathed deeply, his fingers nervously twitching. "Just in case you thought otherwise, we are not friends with you for your wealth or anything. Tyrkir and I are not like that."

Hela stared still, not knowing what to do with the suddenly nervous Ornulf. She wasn't used to see him be so unconfident and unsure. "You're welcome." She said gently, "I know you aren't like that. You two aren't the type."

Ornulf seemed to deflate in relief, "I just thought… you looked impassive, and I thought you secretly disapprove. I don't want–" He abruptly stopped.

"You don't want… what?" She gently probed.

Ornulf seemed to light up in front of her eyes. "I was about to say I don't want to lose our new lair before we even started. Thank the Norns you approve."

Hela chuckled, "Of course I approve. It will be nice to have a place of our own. For the sake of decorum, I can't exactly let you in my room."

" _The princess's room_?" They both turned as Tyrkir practically marched up to Ornulf, face bright red in either anger or embarrassment. "You asked to be let inside the _princess's_ room?!"

Ornulf backed away from the fuming boy, hands held up defensively. "Don't worry, she didn't agree, so I said I'll let _you_ go in my stead."

Hela snorted as Tyrkir reddened even further in anger. " _You what?!"_

Ornulf turned and ran out the room, Tyrkir following hot on his heels. The sounds of chaos and yelling filled the corridors, and more than one servant chuckled. "It is good to see you making friends, Your Highness."

Hela smiled happily in the elderly woman's direction. "Thank you, Astrid."

The woman's eyes widened in shock for being recognized, but it was drowned out by the other servant's inquiries. "The Minister's son? I heard he's a smart boy."

"I can't say I recognized the other boy you were talking to."

"It is rare indeed to see you out of your room, Your Highness."

Hela just smiled as she answered their questions and helped move the new furniture. With any luck, Tyrkir and Ornulf would be back soon to help. After all, _they_ were the ones who requested the secret lair in the first place.

 

**…**

 

It was nearly night. Hela trailed off as she looked out the window; however, one look from Vor had her finishing answering the question.

Vor nodded as Hela successfully recited the names of all thirty-three dwarf warriors who successfully drove back Ulik the Rock Troll from conquering their realm centuries ago. "Very good, Your Highness. It seems we are finally finished with the Rock Troll Invasion in Nidavellir."

Hela grinned, "Thank the Norns, I swear I will go completely mad if I hear another gods-forsaken dwarf name like _Glamnaeth_."

Vor only raised an eyebrow, "It seems I saved Asgard from an unfortunate disaster just in time. Mayhap I should give myself a pat in the back?"

Hela snorted, "Oh never change, Vor!"

"I do not intend to."

Hela shook her head, still grinning. "Well, now that we are done with that, what is the next topic for the day? Or night now, I suppose."

"How about enlightening me as to why you seemed to have such an overreaction to the knowledge of Odin being your father? And I trust you will not think me foolish enough to fall for your frankly pitiful excuses."

Hela stiffened and sighed, "Must you _always_ continue asking that, Vor? I told you I was just confused at the time and–"

Vor raised an unimpressed eyebrow.

She flinched, "I-It's private. Please do not ask. And it's true that I was just confused that day. It was really nothing you should concern yourself with."

For the last few years, Vor has never failed to raise that question whenever she gets the opportunity. She never believes anything Hela tells her, and Hela has frankly begun to feel too tired to think of new excuses every time.

Now, it is Vor's turn to sigh. "I never liked not knowing something. You know this. I might not let this go for a long time."

"I know." Honestly, if there is anyone who must _absolutely_ know her secret, she doesn't mind that it's Vor. It's not just because she is the least likely to start spouting her secrets as soon as her back is turned, but also because she might actually understand her situation and help her through it. Hela has no doubt Frigga would do the same, but the fact remains that Frigga remains too close to the canon story that knowing the slightest thing might impact the future in a lot of ways.

Vor immediately pinned her with one of those knowing gazes that never failed to make her squirm. "Then I expect an answer in the next century or so. At the earliest."

Hela sniggered before cowering at Vor's serious glare. "I understand."

Vor then straightened, steepling both her fingers together and leaning her chin on them. "Now, how are your seidr lessons coming along? I heard you are learning from the Queen?"

"The finest and most talented seidkona in Asgard herself." Hela declared proudly. "It is truly an honor to learn from her."

She could still remember the time when she pleaded to Frigga to let her practice magic. She had just finished learning the first few forms of combat and academic lessons then, the instructors telling her parents on how fast she absorbed every lesson, as well as all the arguments and debates she sparked through her ideas and hypotheses about various controversial topics about Asgard's history and beliefs.

It is through these that she quickly discovered that Asgard is both advanced and backwards in their technology, beliefs, and practices, and that they don't easily accept new things, and that fact made her want to tear her hair out in countless occasions. To think they still refused to accept the fact that women are equally as capable in combat and can do dangerous work like men is _unacceptable_. It seems that even though the Valkyries exist at this time, they are still mostly considered a legend and therefore, a dream not really attainable by _little girls_ like herself.

Despite those drawbacks though, the compliments about her prodigious intelligence and skill are plentiful, (though she suspects most of those are flowery words designed to earn her favor). Her instructors, and much to her surprise, including _Vor_ , remarked that she would make an excellent philosopher if it weren't for her status as heir.

Frigga and Odin had both been bewildered and visibly pleased after hearing those reports. It made Hela's chest burst with happiness at the thought of making her parents proud, but she still felt uneasy.

Judging by what she could hear from the servants' gossip, it had been _centuries_ since a child had been hailed a prodigy. To think that the next one came from Odin's line is a cause for celebration and incessant scrutiny.

This is not the kind of pressure or attention Hela wants or needs right now. But it seems something Asgardians are determined to give no matter what she wished.

One thing she immediately learned about this place is that Asgard takes its feasts _very_ seriously. The smallest good things are cause for celebration, and the servants always prepare the best food, meat, and mead they could offer. All the partying is frankly very tiring and annoying, but she knows that's what Asgardians are known for, and she always has to pretend to like it so she can be considered as one of them.

Even Frigga and Odin enjoys these kinds of things, and she quietly observes from her spot in the table as Frigga smiles and sips a glass of wine while Odin laughs heartily at one of the funny songs of the bards. It is times like this when Hela remembers that Odin is still young and hasn't conquered any realms or mighty kingdoms yet. He is still too open, boisterous, and loud. Very much like Thor in the first Thor movie. He is not yet wise nor has he been tainted by the horrors of war.

While mostly a warrior, Odin also wields seidr, but only when the situation absolutely requires it. On the outside, Odin is only known as an incredible warrior and king. But again, he is still young, and she knew he will most likely balk and become disappointed if she asks him.

And with that, Hela knew that he is not the person she should ask to teach her about seidr.

Seidr is a rare art in Asgard, and something that is best practiced in secret or not at all if one does not want to be ostracized. And frankly speaking, Aesir does not like seidr wielders. They consider them weak, effeminate, and mere tricksters and cowards. Women are given some leeway, however, the most they could practice are scrying and the most simplest of magics. The practice is frowned upon, and even _servants_ would mock its practitioners. Simply put, if you want to be a seidmadr, you are best off living in Vanaheim, the realm of magic.

However, Hela couldn't leave Asgard even if she wanted to. She is the heir and the princess. She suspects this must be the reason why Loki didn't leave too. Nevertheless, she wants to learn it. And who best to ask but one of the most powerful seidr wielders in this kingdom?

And so she turns to Frigga.

"Mother, can we talk?"

Frigga smiles at her patiently, and she felt her hesitation disappearing with just one kind look from her mother.

"Of course, my darling."

She led Frigga outside the dining hall, the noises of celebration and boisterous laughing cut off when the doors slammed closed behind them. She immediately exhaled in relief and longed to rub her ears to get rid of the ringing sound left over from the noise inside. She likes the occasional party as much as the next person, but it _does_ become boring and monotonous when all everyone does for fun around here is _party all night long for almost every week_.

Something must have shown in her face, because Frigga then turned to gaze at her curiously, "Do you not like the feast?" She inquired.

"No, no, it is fine. I am absolutely honored that people wanted to throw a feast in my honor." Hela was quick to assure her. No one can say she is ungrateful. "Though I still maintain my belief that being good in one's studies is not a cause for celebration as grand as this."

Frigga slowly shook her head as soon as she said the last words and moved to gently lift up her chin, her eyes boring into hers intently. "Hela, you are our sweet, beautiful, and clever daughter. _Of course_ _we will throw a feast for you._ After all, the Princess of Asgard deserves nothing less."

Hela felt her heart soar at those words and fought the urge to beam. Right now, she needs to be as serious as she can. "I thank you for your kind words, Mother. But this is actually about something else."

Frigga leaned back at that. "Oh?"

Hela strengthened her resolve. "Mother, I wish to learn magic."

Her mother's eyes widened.

She sighed and prepared to defend her decision, "Mother, please. I feel it, crawling under my skin, begging to be used. I just don't know how." She looked up at her imploringly, "I could not ask Father because he will probably laugh at me or ignore me, but you are one of the most powerful magic users in all the Nine. I know it is frowned upon, but I really want to learn how." She pleaded, "Please teach me, Mother."

She _has_ to agree. Didn't Frigga also teach Loki magic even when male seidr users are frowned upon? So she wouldn't refuse her daughter, right?

"You do not have to beg, my daughter. All you have to do is ask."

Hela looked up in surprise only to meet Frigga's delighted smile. "I am aware there are only a few seidmadr and seidkona currently residing in Asgard, not unlike Vanaheim where there are _thousands_ of us. I am immensely happy to know my own daughter shows interest in learning the art."

Hela grinned so wide her cheeks started to hurt, utterly thrilled as she is at the prospect of learning _magic_ , of all things. This second life truly is a dream come true! "Thank you, Mother!"

And so her magic lessons began. At day, she attended lessons with Vor about language, etiquette, history, and arithmetic ( _even in another world, no one can escape math),_ but at night, she practiced wielding her seidr under Frigga's patient eye. Her mother said she would teach her how to manipulate her seidr to levitate things, how to cast illusions, and how to conjure.

She warned that it would be _very_ slow work, but Hela is completely willing to see it through. No one can push her away from her goal now. Especially since she has no doubt it would prove to be useful in the future. She will not be like any other Aesir who only knew how to fight physically and has no other means to defend themselves when incapacitated. She will make her mother proud.

"Unlike galdrmadr and the vitki, seidkona does not need to say runes or spells to wield seidr. Instead, it is all about intent and focus." Frigga had instructed, and waved a hand over the room. Instantly, their surroundings changed into that of a rich and abundant _forest_. Inside her _room!_

Complete with a freaking _waterfall_.

"Crafting illusions may be complex and difficult, but once you practice it repeatedly, it will cease to be so." Frigga continued, showing no signs of fatigue after creating such a complex illusion.

Hela is still gaping around the room and slowly reached out a finger to poke one of the branches hanging near her. Instantly, the illusion shimmered, and the forest flickered fleetingly into the boring old walls of her room before strengthening again. "And _that_ is one of the flaws of illusions. Once someone touches it or you lose concentration, it will weaken."

 _Oh_ … so _that's_ why Loki's doppelgangers always disappear whenever someone runs through them.

"Is there any way to render the illusions solid?" Hela asked curiously.

Frigga slowly shook her head, "Illusions are just that, illusions. They are only tricks used to fool and mislead the eye into believing that it is real. However, if it is solid things you wish to produce, then it is conjuring you must study."

Hela hurriedly shook her head, "I wish to learn both, Mother. Teach me anything you think I am capable of, and I promise to do my best to make you proud."

Frigga beamed with pride, "If that is what you wish, my daughter, but know that you have already made me proud."

 

…

 

Years of relentless practice and training passed, and it is then they soon realized that Hela's abilities are not suited for creating illusions nor healing. Instead, her magic leans towards the more _destructive_ side of things. Hela has almost lost count of how many windows and mirrors she shattered when all she wanted to do was make it look like stone. The most she could do was create the simplest of illusions like a pen or a book, and not something more complex like a person. And the healing arts just seem to dislike her, enough said.

She had worried and been frightened by her destructive and violent magic. It made her wonder fearfully if learning how to fight and use seidr will only bring her one step closer into becoming the original Hela, and Frigga had had to console her repeatedly. "Seidr has many forms," She had murmured into her hair, "we just need to find the right one for you."

And so she did. Frigga – _brilliant and clever Frigga_ – proposed that if Hela's seidr doesn't specialize in creating illusions and tricks, then it's probably because it specializes in conjuring _real_ things.

This began new sessions, with Frigga slowly and patiently teaching Hela how to conjure simple things like feathers and pens, and Hela found that _she could do so easily_. It took practice and endless sleepless nights of course, but at last, she could conjure them with just a flick of her wrists, all without explosions or accidents. Frigga then looked at her with such pride and endless joy, and Hela quickly realized that seidr isn't just an ability for the Queen. It is her _life_ , and she has probably been hurt by Asgard's low opinion of seidr and had been beyond delighted when Hela asked her to teach her.

Hela then found herself wondering when it went wrong for Loki. Seidr is a beautiful art and one that deserves to be shown with pride, but surely Loki knew the consequences of learning and showing it to others?

Unless he didn't.

Hela slowly began to realize what really happened in the canon past that Marvel didn't show. After all, her inquisitive mind wouldn't settle for anything else. The picture her mind painted proceeded to make her blanch.

In the original Asgard, Frigga most likely felt alone while surrounded by the Aesir's disdain for seidkona. It probably hurt when Thor didn't show even the slightest interest in learning seidr. But when Loki finally came and expressed interest, she then probably proceeded to teach him _everything_ she knows so she won't be alone. And young and naïve Loki, who was obviously delighted with his new ability and probably thought that if the Queen has it, then it is okay, proceeded to show everyone, which immediately made them dislike and ostracize him.

Odin and Thor might have led him to that point due to their neglect and indifference, but Frigga isn't entirely blameless for what happened. She should have warned him that learning the art is dangerous in this realm but she neglected to do so, much like how she neglected to do so with Hela herself. And she knew if she is indeed the child they think she is, then she would probably show off her new abilities to her father and the servants, and then where would she be?

The realization that she had been manipulated made her sick.

But perhaps manipulation is too strong a word. Frigga only meant well, and it must be hard to be from the only magical realm in the Nine and then forced to hide abilities you have practiced your whole life. In a way, Hela can understand, but the realization of what Loki must've experienced still left a bad taste in her mouth.

So on top of protecting her brothers, avoiding making Loki feel neglected, helping to teach him seidr, hopefully telling him his true identity without repercussions, and countless other things, Hela must also tell him not to show anyone his abilities lest he becomes detested by his peers. It would be something a normal child would not understand, but she couldn't risk him not learning seidr completely. It has been one of his most defining and recognizable traits, and she wouldn't want to take that away from him. He would hate her, for sure.

And so Hela kept silent, and smiled back at her mother's obvious joy and pride.

 

**…**

 

Knowing that Vor is watching her intently, Hela exhaled and slowly produced fire with a flick of her wrists, concentrating to keep the bright flames dancing in her palm. However, just like anything she has ever conjured the first time, the flames only grew stronger and bigger the longer she left it on.

Vor's eyes immediately glinted and she barely suppressed a smile. "Excellent work, Princess." She eyed the flames that are much taller than her head now. "You are powerful, that much I can see. The Queen must be proud."

"I sure hope so." Hela grinned.

A moment passed and the flames only got bigger and brighter. Vor has to crane her neck now to keep the entirety of it within her vision. "Are you sure you are not doing this deliberately? Normally, flames produced by seidr extinguishes when the wielder is not concentrated or if it is left for too long."

"I am putting the barest amount of thought into it." Hela promised.

Vor frowned, glanced at her, at the flames, and back, before parting her lips soundlessly in realization.

Hela tilted her head in curiosity but Vor waved her off, "It is just a thought. Now put that out lest you exhaust yourself or burn down the whole library. Our lessons are not yet done."

Hela grinned and complied, swiftly extinguishing the flames.

 

**…**


	5. Her Birthright

Odin gazed down the training grounds silently, the few people who noticed him offering a bow and murmured pleasantries.

He is not interested in entertaining them right now.

Grunts and groans of pain sounded from the grounds, the latter of which coming from a boy who is most certainly getting kicked around by his bored daughter very easily. He watched as Hela leapt, and struck a foot out which caught the boy in the stomach and sent him hurtling across the grounds.

His daughter idly flipped her sword, gaze impassive as she watched her opponent try to get up before slumping back on the wall with a groan. Their trainer only nodded his head in her direction before gesturing for the next opponent to take his position. There was no fanfare, yet Hela seemed content. Not a warrior who likes songs sung in his or her praise then, but a silent one, capable of striking in the dark without anyone noticing.

As if sensing his gaze, he watched his daughter turn silently, until her green eyes met his own blue ones. There was no surprise, only impassiveness. No desire to get his approval then.

Very curious.

Hela inclined her head, before turning back to her opponent, who looked confident in his chances to win. Even from his viewpoint, he knew his daughter would triumph. Through his daughter’s own insistence for harsher training and her determination, she quickly became proficient in the art of combat; already mastering the sword, daggers, axe, spear, war hammer, mace, and is moving on to more complicated weapons and forms. Truly a natural prodigy.

As expected, she made quick work of her new opponent, and the next, and the one after that. Soon enough, it is done. The only signs of her fatigue is a slightly hitched breath, but no more. And in that moment, he has never seen anyone as beautiful and deadly as she.

“Hela.”

His daughter looked up at him, before saluting with her fist over her heart. “Father.”

He watched her for a long moment; his intense gaze not even making her fidget. It almost made him smile. “Come, we must talk.”

She gazed inquisitively at him, before following after him.

They walked for a moment, Hela effortlessly matching his pace with her own. Their synchronized footsteps echoed in the vast halls of the palace and they seem to have no destination in mind.

After a long moment, his curious daughter finally turned to him. “Why have you called me, Father? Is there something wrong?”

His amused gaze met hers again, “Does a father need a reason to spend time with his daughter?”

Hela pursed her lips before shaking her head, “No, I suppose not. But you have to forgive me,” she then cracked a wry grin. “Since you haven’t exactly been around lately.”

That surprised a chuckle out of him that had Hela glancing at him in surprise at the corner of her eye. “I suppose your mother is right once again.”

“About what?”

He abruptly sobered and stopped. Hela accidentally walked a bit more before turning back in surprise. Ignoring her look, he slowly took her in.

Even after so many years under the sun, his daughter remained pale. Her black hair is tied into a messy knot on top of her head, the dark color a sharp contrast to her skin. He often wondered how she got such a color. Then again, his twin brothers Vili and Ve both have black hair, albeit tanned skin. Her green eyes are wise and knowing, and she is only wearing training gear, however, his daughter still managed to maintain a regal and mature air about her.

Truly someone fitting to be the heir to Asgard’s throne.

He glanced at her, before making up his mind. “Follow me.”

Odin quickly strode off, leaving Hela to scramble after him. They both walked through the palace in a rapid pace, past the guards and servants milling around the halls, past countless doors, down the steps, and further down they went. After a while, he could feel Hela’s knowing gaze on his back, and almost smiled. It seems the rumors about his daughter’s intelligence and wit is also true.

Finally, they reached the Weapon’s Vault. Odin waved away the two guards present, who saluted before turning to leave.

“I don’t suppose you have been here before?”

Hela looked amused, “If you are suggesting if I have sneaked into the Weapon’s Vault… No, I have not.”

“Most would not resist the chance to be in a room full of forbidden and powerful relics.”

“Except it is not yet ‘full’, is it?” She smirked.

Odin laughed, “I never realized I have such an impudent daughter.”

“Perhaps you’ll know if you actually spent time with me.”

Odin paused and turned to look at Hela, whose pale cheeks pinked in embarrassment. “I apologize for my insolence, Father.”

He still stared at her. “Your mother has been mentioning a few interesting things.”

That got her attention. “What kinds of things?” She asked slowly.

He gazed at her seriously. “Tell me, my daughter. Have I been neglecting you?”

His daughter’s eyes widened at his forwardness, and she visibly stiffened. The look on her face, however, revealed the truth.

He barely restrained the urge to sigh. “I see.”

Hela frowned, but said nothing.

“In truth, I haven’t realized.” He said honestly. “I don’t suppose you’ll understand, but I have been busy preparing for war. The other realms are growing restless as of late.”

She should have only nodded and moved on. After all, war should be a foreign concept to a child, and yet young Hela’s eyes blazed with understanding, but also accusation. “There is no war, Father. There are only those you wish to make.”

He immediately scowled, “What are you implying, daughter?”

Her posture quickly turned submissive, but the fire in her eyes says otherwise. “I am only implying that everything is peaceful at the moment, so why do you feel the need to fight?”

“‘ _Why do I feel the need to fight’_?” Odin echoed in disbelief. “I fight for the good of Asgard. I fight for our people. The other realms are becoming more aggressive, who is to say they would not turn their wrath on Asgard? It is best we extinguish the spark before it becomes a flame.”

His daughter looked frustrated, but her voice retained its diplomatic tone. “No, you fight to conquer. You fight so that Asgard can expand its territories and subjugate other realms. You are fighting when there is no reason to fight.” Her voice took on a pleading tone, and Odin was almost appalled to find such weakness.

He expected more from her.

She is not yet done, however. “If you must _truly_ fight, then please do not be the instigators of conflict. Retaliation is better and more justifiable than outright violence.”

Now it is Odin’s turn to look furious, and he didn’t bother hiding that fact. “You are saying I should let Asgard lie on its back and wait to be attacked before exacting revenge. Why should I need to justify my actions when I know I am right?” He shook his head, “I do not know why your instructors say you are a prodigy; you are still clearly a child.” He pinned her with his intense gaze, “I only allowed you to learn how to fight; that does not mean you can claim to know the rules of war and lecture me, _my daughter_.”

Hela flinched and turned silent, the fire in her eyes slowly dying. She breathed slowly, “I apologize again, Father.”

Odin fought back the urge to rub his temple; how could he let the situation get out of hand? His daughter is clearly distressed by his apparent ‘neglect’ of her. Yelling at her probably did not do him any favors.

Besides, Frigga would _slaughter_ him if she found out what happened here.

“It is of no consequence. I just hope you’ll understand that all I do, I do it for Asgard, for Frigga, and for you.”

She looked surprised, “Me?”

In response, he silently led her across the room, into a hidden alcove, until they are standing in a chamber within the Vault. Hela gasped, and he smiled before gesturing to the lifelike mural on the walls. “What you see here, is the entirety of Yggdrasil.”

Flabbergasted, Hela walked forward, her head craning this way and that, and slowly took in the chamber that is glowing with the light of a billion stars, whole galaxies, and gigantic nebulae, all of which she could see are connected by tendrils and wisps of light, gas, and dust; the pattern almost resembling the branches of a tree.

Yggdrasil, the World Tree.

“Beautiful, is it not? Though I must say this does not compare to reality, which only Heimdall truly sees in its entirety.”

Hela turned back to look at her father, who came to stand beside her. “This is why I had been so busy that it appeared as if I am neglecting you. I want to assure you that I am not. I only wanted to give you this.” He gestured to the universe before them, as if presenting her a gift tied with a bow. “As the future Queen of Asgard, you deserve nothing less.”

Hela looked shocked, and her breathing had turned shallow. “You mean for me to rule all _this_?”

He nodded, pleased that she understood. “It is your birthright.”

Her face suddenly contorted unpleasantly. “And for that to happen, you would wage war?”

Odin frowned again, “Hela–”

“Father, I don’t want any of this.” Hela looked desperate. As for why, he doesn’t know. “Please reconsider, if you are truly doing this for me.”

Odin felt his face turn hard, and Hela visibly flinched from the sight. “It is not just for you, Hela.” He said, the words firm and final. “I also said it was for Asgard. As its King, I must do what is asked of me.” He gazed coldly at her, “This will be the last time I will hear you disagree.”

It is a command, not a statement.

And with that, he turned away, leaving Hela to gaze after him helplessly.

 

**…**

 

Enthusiastic cheers suddenly erupted from the stands near the boundaries of the forest and Hela inwardly winced. Only Frigga’s encouraging hand at her back kept her from jumping on Dagny’s back and bolting far away.

_Show no fear. Only confidence and authority._

_Be the heir they expect you to be._

She forced herself to straighten and look confident, but the sight of the sheer amount of people in the stands as she turned around the corner immediately made her duck down in embarrassment. 

Noticing her nervousness, Frigga gave her an encouraging smile. “Be at ease, my dearest.” Frigga whispered soothingly. “This will be but a confirmation of what I already knew. I have full confidence in your abilities.”

Hela giggled and beamed at those words. Has she ever mentioned how much she absolutely _loved_ Frigga?

Still… this is the coming-of-age ceremony. Everyone, and she meant _everyone_ , in Asgard is watching, and if she completely floundered and blustered her way through this, everyone in Asgard will know how much of a _fraud_ she really is.

Hela took a deep breath and tried to steady her pounding heart. She could do this. She tried desperately to recall everything she learned from Herryk. A quick glance around the stands and she immediately saw the huge commander scowling darkly in the front seats as the cheers steadily grew louder. Sensing her gaze, his eyes turned to meet hers, and to her surprise, he nodded stiffly.

She blinked, and the moment is gone.

Huh. He truly _does_ care.

Right beside him is Vor, who sat primly and straight-backed in her seat. She nodded as well, and smiled.

A gentle push at her back from Frigga caught her attention. “Off you go.” She said kindly.

“Thank you, Mother.” Hela told her sincerely before heading off to where the other trainees are gathering to prepare themselves.

“Hela!” A yell followed by a grunt of pain sounded behind her, and she turned to see a sheepish Ornulf apologizing to Tyrkir, who looked resigned. “We are in public Ornulf, we must refer to the Princess with respect.”

“Sorry~!” Ornulf laughed and beamed at Hela, “So Princess, are you ready to slay some dragons?”

Tyrkir rolled his eyes skyward as if looking for guidance, and Hela resisted the urge to giggle. “For the last time Ornulf, there are no dragons in Asgard!”

Ornulf stuck out his tongue, “Even if there isn’t, you wouldn’t know, would you Tyrkir? You _never_ go outside the palace.”

Tyrkir reddened and Hela laughed, “Good to see you aren’t nervous in the least, friends.”

“Nervous? We are _terrified_!” Ornulf exclaimed, a fixed smile on his face.

 _Ah_ , Hela realized. _I guess we all have our own means of coping._

“Bringing back an animal smaller than a boar is already considered shameful. But what am I supposed to do when I cannot even _approach_ the damn thing?” Tyrkir sighed heavily.

“I am certain you will do fine.” Hela quickly reassured them. “It doesn’t have to be a boar. A stag is a suitable replacement. Just find those and you will be good to go.”

“… I suppose you are right.” Tyrkir said reluctantly.

“I will probably try hunting a moose. Or a lion if I can find one.” Ornulf decided, and Tyrkir shot him a resigned glare.

As if the rest heard their conversation, declarations of animals they will hunt began echoing in the area; cries for boars, lions, and even _dragons’_ heads ultimately made Tyrkir groan. “Why does no one ever believe there are no dragons in Asgard? The only way there would be is if Nidhogg managed to find itself all the way up here from Yggdrasil’s roots.”

“Perhaps because you are mentally an old man with no imagination?” Ornulf teased.

“Says the overgrown child.” Tyrkir shot back.

“Friends,” Hela fought the urge to laugh at the two. Is it odd she found them adorable? “That is just nerves talking. Both of you will do great, I know it.”

The two immediately reddened at her words. Ornulf shoved Tyrkir, who proceeded to smile shyly. “Thank you, Hela.” He said.

The noise suddenly quelled, and the three turned just in time to see Asgard’s King Odin ascend the platform, his Queen Frigga a step behind him. Odin slammed Gungnir on the ground, the sound immediately calling everyone’s attention.

Hela felt herself straighten unconsciously at the sight of her father, their conversation in the Vaults still weighing heavily on her mind.

“Today’s occasion is important for many reasons,” Odin’s eyes roved over them one by one, until they rested on her. Hela stared right back. “The coming-of-age ceremony is a traditional Aesir rite that would determine your future and standing in this realm. It is the time when you are neither a child, nor a man. Prove yourself, and the reward will be great.

“Whosoever brings back the largest and the most dangerous creature shall be the victor. A whole day shall be allotted for this ceremony, and everyone must return before the sun rises on the morrow.” His eyes moved away from her, and Hela exhaled in relief.

Odin’s attention always makes her feel uncomfortable, considering how rare he acknowledges her. She could probably count with one hand the total amount of interactions they have had over the years. “You may bring your own weapons and packs for the hunt. Helping your opponents and the use of seidr is prohibited.” Here, his eyes met hers again, and she resisted the urge to scowl. “Prepare yourselves, and may the Norns smile upon you all today.”

With that, the King of Asgard settled on his throne on the stage, and everyone proceeded to scramble for their chosen weapons and packs.

Hela stared all around her; watching her fellow trainees hefting large battle axes, long swords, maces, and spears, Tyrkir with his sword and Ornulf with a sword and a bow and arrow, before turning to stare at her own conjured long sword. It seemed flimsy compared to the weapons the others are carrying.

Tyrkir seemed to notice her dilemma, because he stared blankly at the sword. “The King and Queen did not provide you with weapons?”

“Perhaps they wanted me to make it on my own, without any outside help.” She suggested, though she inwardly cursed at the fact that she does not have her own weapon. All she has are her packs and conjured swords, but seidr isn’t even allowed, so there will be no extra supplies of weapons.

Perhaps Odin wanted to punish her for being so insolent and disrespectful in the Vaults. However, if it is, then how low of him indeed. Frigga, she kind of understands. Her mother is Vanir; they wouldn’t have a rite of passage such as this. Perhaps she simply didn’t know.

Continuing to curse at this oversight, Hela proceeded on conjuring two more swords which she placed in scabbards at her hips. Then, she conjured a set of knives and daggers and put them on her belt. And finally, she conjured a bow and arrows for hunting, which she slung at her back.

Conjuring is a complicated branch of magic, because the longer someone maintains the conjuration, the more it saps your strength. It is the same with illusions, but harder. She has always been better with conjuration than illusions, so she suspects the magic will hold, but not for long.

“I have to kill the first dangerous beast I will find.” She resolved. _Or else she will be left with nothing._

Tyrkir and Ornulf glanced at each other, before staring at her in concern. “Are you certain you will be all right, Your Highness?” Tyrkir asked anxiously, “I mean, if those disappear eventually, you will be a sitting duck.”

“She’ll be all right.” Ornulf countered, “Hela is the best warrior in our group. She can handle herself. I am more worried about _us_!”

Tyrkir cringed, “That is true.”

“It also doesn’t help the fact that we are also forbidden from helping each other.” Hela sighed, “I could really use the help.”

All three collectively sighed in defeat.

“Norns help us.”


	6. The Hunt Begins

Conversations ceased when the horn blew, signaling the start of the ceremony, and Hela smiled as confidently as she could at her two friends, “Good luck.”

“Best of luck, princess.” ... “Happy hunting, Hela!”

Tyrkir’s glare at Ornulf was the last thing she saw before a wave of seidr transported them all into different sections of the forest, and Hela suddenly found herself standing in a wide clearing with none of her fellow competitors in sight.

She giggled to herself, knowing that Ornulf was just trying to calm Tyrkir. She hadn’t known them long, but she felt as if they are the best friends she never had from back then.

She had always been somewhat of a loner, and usually only focused on her studies and her job. Any friends she had had slowly forgotten about her, occupied as they are with their own lives. But with Tyrkir and Ornulf, it’s like they clicked instantly upon meeting each other, and now she can’t imagine living in Asgard without people who can ground her like they do. They make her stay sane whenever her mind is full of her studies and duties, and she loves them for it.

She could only hope they do well today.

 

…

 

Odin stared silently at the last spot he saw his daughter, and felt the slightest hint of guilt. He had seen her expression when she realized that she only has a training sword and no real weapons, and that’s when he remembered that he had forbidden the use of seidr during the ceremony out of spite. It was all he could do not to flinch back as a hand gripped his own tightly, perfect nails digging into flesh.

“Is there something you are not telling me, _my King_?” Frigga’s perfectly composed tone was ruined by the harsh grip on his hand, “Perhaps, a reason why Hela is absent of any weapon?”   

This time, Odin winced minutely. Not easily noticeable by anyone, but obvious to the one currently holding his hand in a death grip. “I _had_ planned on giving Hela a weapon when we went down to the Weapon’s Vault that day,” He gritted his teeth as the nails dug deeper. “But it appears to have slipped my mind.”

 _“Slipped your mind?”_ Frigga rounded on him, and Odin could see a few people nearby glancing at them in confusion, and a certain former mentor who is glaring at him openly, and who obviously knew what happened. “How in the Nine did you forget to give Hela a weapon? Especially the one you’ve been commissioning the Dwarves to make for the past several years?!”

“ _Frigga_.” The warning tone was enough for his wife to fall silent, but not before sending him a glare so harsh he could feel it all the way to his bones. Combined with Vor’s glare, and Odin could feel the coldness of Nornheim rip through his very core.

He shivered.

Frigga looked satisfied.

Vor looked anything but.

“How will she fight without a trusted weapon?” Frigga whispered worriedly, “The war hammer was meant for her to wield today. You are _meant_ to present it to her today, in fact, and it somehow _slipped your mind_.” The words were like venom coming from her lips, and Odin repressed the urge to shiver again. “And now she is left with nothing but a training sword who might as well be a stick and a few conjured weapons.” Frigga turned to him yet again, her eyes blazing with fury, “Tell me why I shouldn’t be mad.”

Odin thought fast, “I have faith in our daughter’s abilities, Frigga. She is far more resourceful and cunning than you think.”

Frigga was too dignified to snort, but she looked like she very much wanted to. “Cunning and resourcefulness are nothing without a proper tool to channel them with, Odin.”

He has nothing to say to that.

Instead, he turned to his two ravens, Huginn and Muninn and whispered a simple command. “Watch over her.”

 

…

 

A few hours later, and Hela found herself still keeping a steady pace through the forest, her conjured weapons making clanking noises by her back and hips with each step. The humid air had made her hair stick to the back of her neck unpleasantly, and she can’t count how many bugs she had already smacked in every part of her body. All that and still, she can’t find a single beast.

Her hands had already started to sweat as her eyes scanned hard for any sign of life through the bushes and trees. She can’t help but admit that she’s very nervous. This is her first time wandering through unfamiliar territory without companions or even trusted weapons. She is very much on her own, and it worries her.

She tried to calm herself down, remembering Frigga’s words and her mother’s faith in her. She can’t let her down, and panicking definitely won’t help her win this.

If she is worried, then her friends must be too. Last she could recall, Tyrkir and Ornulf had been visibly nervous; the former pale as sheet and the latter wearing a smile so fixed she’s surprised it didn’t become permanently carved into his face. She believes in them, though. Tyrkir may be weaker than the typical Asgardian, but he’s very smart. He’ll surely think of a way to get himself out of any predicament. Ornulf, on the other hand, is a ball of endless energy. He’ll probably outlast any animal or monster out here. Besides that, Ornulf is also the best archer she’s ever known, both in this life and her last. He can handle himself.

Hela, on the other hand, only has her wits and her supposed godly stamina to help her. She isn’t as smart as Tyrkir, or as strong, but perhaps her skill would be enough.

She tried not to dwell on the fact that if she failed, she’ll be the laughingstock of Asgard for the next several centuries to come.

 _Why did Odin forbid the use of seidr again?_ Hela scowled petulantly. If she had her seidr, she could probably create an illusion of bait for the animals, or even fire for the long night ahead. 

Hela cursed and kicked a rock in frustration. She watched irritated as the rock sailed through the air and landed in a hole in the tree trunk. She proceeded on kicking the dirt a few more times for good measure, letting herself act like the child she currently is and finally letting go of the formal speech. After all, the nosy eyes and ears are all back at the palace.

“How could you be so stupid, Hela?” She furiously scolded herself, “What did you expect, for some animal to come and present itself to you on a silver platter so you can easily carry it back to a round of applause and cheers? You’ve grown too spoiled!”

She cursed herself for not preparing for this. She hadn’t even read about any creature she might encounter here. She only assumed that she’ll just enter the forest, see a worthy catch, and fight it to the death. After all, large animals can be found quickly, right? Instead, it had been several hours, and she hasn’t found hide nor tail of a beast.

She had grown overconfident, and now she is paying the price.  

She had tried yelling; noise attracted animals, right? But the sound only served to drive even the birds away, and she immediately stopped. Next, she tried climbing the trees, but while she could see a lot from her vantage point, there is still no sign. She was about to try bringing out the food she brought for herself as bait when something suddenly smacked into her forehead and she staggered back, stunned. “W- _Wha_ –?”

She paused and stared as the same rock she kicked earlier rested innocently at her feet. Her gaze then proceeded to lock on huge beady black eyes peering at her from just inside the hole in the tree. Hela backed away slowly, her grip resting on the hilt of her sword. This is her first creature, and she prayed it is big enough to end this ceremony immediately. “… _Hello_?”

The beady eyes narrowed, and suddenly, it leaped from the hole and towards her at frightening speeds. She cried out in surprise and ducked, the creature sailing above her head before landing on its four paws with a snarl. Hela’s eyes widened as she beheld the size of the thing. It’s about as tall as her!

Which is shocking because it is so clearly a squirrel, and squirrels should be small. “You’re not big or dangerous enough to hunt.” She remarked sadly, and watched as the huge squirrel tittered angrily. “You can go back to your hole now.”

However, it seems the thing was furious about the rock, and brandished it threateningly. Only in Asgard can a squirrel be considered smart and terrifying. She quickly pulled her sword from its sheath and held it readily, just in case. “Please put that down, and you won’t get hurt.”

And only Hela can reason with a squirrel without feeling weird in the slightest. She suspects Heimdall might be laughing at her attempts though, since the guy has a terrible sense of humor.

The rock was thrown, and Hela calmly sidestepped and held her hands up. Well, as much as she can with a sword in one of them. “I’m not looking for you, so you can go back now. Unless you somehow know where a large and really dangerous beast is hiding? Because I would really appreciate that.” She asked hopefully, internally wondering if she had just gone insane and asked a _squirrel_ for directions.

To her surprise, the squirrel paused and suddenly looked thoughtfully at her, if squirrels can even look like that. This one certainly did a good job. Hela watched in bewilderment as the squirrel (who is obviously smarter than she gave it credit for) stood on its hind legs and pointed in the general direction of the mountains. Hela stared at it, incredulous and highly certain she is dreaming. “Are you serious?”

The squirrel rolled its eyes before pointing again at the mountains, before proceeding to dive back in its hole with a _thump!_ Hela was left gaping at the tree. Did she just talk to a squirrel who somehow understood her and even gave directions? “Heimdall, tell me that just happened.”

There was no response, but Hela could somehow hear the man chuckling at her situation and see him nodding in her head, which is definitely a confirmation. “Norns help me, I’ve gone crazy.”

Since she doesn’t have a better idea, Hela trudged towards the general direction of the mountains in the outskirts of the forest, certain that she’s the only one willing to go that far and not remain in the general safety of the forests. After all, Odin never said they should only hunt in the forest.

Loopholes are definitely a woman’s best friend.

Come to think of it, she isn’t exactly surprised that even Asgard’s animals are smarter and even more evolved than the animals on Earth. And the squirrel certainly looked like it knew what it’s doing while pointing at the mountains, so there’s definitely something in there.

 _‘Thank you, insanely smart squirrel creature.’_ Hela chuckled. It’s nice to hear herself talk so casually again. She missed talking like this, without the heavy pleasantries and authoritative tone. The only one who can hear her right now is Heimdall and possibly Odin, and the former is so used to her quirks by now that this won’t be anything out of the ordinary.  

Hela eyed the mountain; silently steeling herself for the long climb.

_Watch me closely, father._

 

_…_

 

Several yards away from Hela’s position, Tyrkir found himself frozen above the trees, his grip tightening around the hilt of his sword. He tried breathing deeply, knowing that this is no time for hesitation or nervousness. The goal is to bring back the largest and most dangerous animal you can; bringing back anything less than that and he will be considered an embarrassment.

Some people he talked to said that it’s very difficult trying to find game in Asgard’s forests, as most of the creatures are used to the ceremony by now and have learned to hide. He figured that he’ll have a hard time and brought enough bait to last a lifetime.

This is why he can’t figure out if he’s lucky or not when immediately after he landed, he found himself face-to-face with an enormous wild boar, the latter of whom looked surprised at his sudden appearance but ready to charge.

And this is why he is currently stuck above the trees, panting heavily from the run and climb up. He eyed the beast warily, watching as it circled the tree’s base, snorting and stomping the whole time. Tyrkir suddenly found himself envious of Ornulf’s arrows, knowing that hunting will be easier with it.

How foolish of him.

He can’t get down, the boar looks like it is satisfied eating tree barks and will be down there for a long time. He _had_ read that creatures in Asgard are smarter and larger as opposed to Vanaheim’s gentle grazing herds or Midgard’s own giant lizards. The boar likely saw the lack of arrows in his back and decided to make _him_ its meal instead of the opposite.

Tyrkir contemplated his predicament; throwing anything at it will no doubt only make it angrier; and getting down and making a run for it is altogether stupid and irresponsible. Worst of all, there are no nearby trees to jump to so he’s well and utterly _stuck_.

“Just my luck…” He muttered. If the boar left sometime in the afternoon then he’ll have the chance to get down and hunt for other game until time is up, but if somehow he spent the night here and by morning, the boar still hasn’t left then he will be made an embarrassment to his entire family. He can already imagine the disappointed looks his father will give him, and this knowledge filled him with determination. He can’t let his father down!

Tyrkir eyed the ground, calculating how high he is and if he’ll make the jump, as well as memorized the boar’s patterns of circling the tree. His body tensed as the boar made its fourth pass and readied himself for the leap of faith, when he suddenly heard something _whistling_ , and before he knew it, the boar grunted and _squealed_ in pain.

Dumbfounded, Tyrkir stared at the arrow suddenly protruding from the base of the thrashing boar’s ear before gazing up amongst the trees, where a smirking Ornulf held his bow loosely in his hands, grinning from ear-to-ear.

He gaped.

Ornulf started to laugh at his expression, before jumping down and landing lightly on his feet, bow and arrow at the ready just in case. The boar continued to thrash, but Ornulf stood confidently, aimed, and fired.

Tyrkir could only stare and marvel at Ornulf’s accuracy. He’s always been the best in their archery lessons. Ornulf may seem like an over-energized kid most of the time, but give him a bow, arrow, and a target and he’ll shoot faster than you could blink. Even now, every one of his shots hit the exact spot of his previous arrows, further showing his expertise and precision.

With that in mind, Ornulf managed about four more shots – blood spurting and spilling everywhere with each hit – before the boar finally fell with a sickening _thud!_ and moved no more.

There was a beat of silence, before Tyrkir finally noticed his gaping jaw and closed it with a _snap_.

“O- _Ornulf_?!”

“Greetings fellow hunter!” Ornulf snickered, before smirking up at him. “Planning on spending the night up there, Tyrkir? Shall I get you more pillows and blankets?”

He reddened and quickly leapt down, “Shut up.”

Ornulf laughed, before poking the boar with the tip of his spare sword. After ensuring its demise, he carefully looked over Tykir’s body, a hint of concern in his blue eyes. “Are you alright?”

Tyrkir nodded silently, internally disappointed and angry at himself for failing to kill the boar. Compared to other animals out here, the boar is probably one of the tamest, and still he _failed_. “I am fine.”

“No, you’re not.” Ornulf frowned worriedly, “Is it because I killed your game?”

“No,” _Yes._ Immediately, Tyrkir felt bad for thinking that. They both knew he was stuck earlier. He should be grateful for Ornulf’s help. “Thank you.” He said.

To his dismay, Ornulf didn’t let it go and only looked at him knowingly, “I am right, aren’t I?”

He slumped in defeat, “Yes.”

“I’m sorry,” Ornulf said sincerely, “But I saw you have no way out, and worst of all, you were planning on jumping– don’t give me that look, I saw you–! so I took the initiative.”

_He’s right._

“I’m grateful,” He told him, “It’s just, one of the King’s rules stated that we are forbidden from helping each other.”

Ornulf shrugged, “You’re the one with the Minister of Law as a father. I’m sure you can think of something.”

 _He’s right again._ Tyrkir thought hard, before smirking. “It was never my game. I never did anything to claim it as my own. You saw the boar and killed it, and so it’s yours. You didn’t help me because it’s all yours for the taking.”

Ornulf had smiled while he spoke, and by the end of it, he was grinning so wide Tyrkir was afraid he would split his face in two. He thumped his back so hard he almost fell over, “Atta boy, Tyrkir! See this young lad? An utter genius, I’d say!” He addressed the downed boar as if it could hear him, and Tyrkir almost burst out laughing at the ridiculousness of the situation. There isn’t a written set of rules, and Odin never did say any specifics, so there’s a staggering amount of loopholes to exploit.

He just hopes the princess discovers it soon. She’ll need it, especially since she lacks any real weapon.

Ornulf again eyed him knowingly, “She’ll be alright. Hela’s tough, and she’s ‘hela’ smart. I’m sure she’ll be alright.” He quickly dodged his swipe and held his hands up, cackling like a maniac. “Fine, fine, I’ll stop!”

“That’s terrible.” Tyrkir groaned.

“I live to serve, future Minister.” Ornulf swept into a bow before grinning, “Now, since my game is taken care of, it’s time to find yours.” He thumped his back one more time, before winking. “No need to worry, we just met by chance when we suddenly encountered a creature I _definitely_ did not help to find.”

This time, Tyrkir joined him and laughed hard.

_Bending the rules has never been this fun._

 

**…**

 

This is _not_ fun.

Hela felt absolutely miserable. Her hands are currently full of cuts and scrapes from climbing the occasional tall rocks blocking the path, her feet are tired from all the walking, and she was drenched in sweat. For the hundredth time, she wondered why she’s going through all sorts of lengths just to prove her father wrong. Is she really _that_ petty?

“This better be worth it.” Hela gritted her teeth before hauling herself up the cliffs, eyes scanning the mountains for any caves a large creature may hide itself. Unfortunately, the squirrel can’t speak, so she’s stuck to finding the beast herself, which had taken the better part of the day.

Deciding to rest for a bit, Hela plopped to the ground and reached for her canteen of water. She also stretched for a bit, readying herself for further climbing. That’s when she saw a certain squirrel standing just among the rocks; the huge creature tilting its head and looking like it’s _laughing_ at her.

“What are you looking at?” She huffed, no longer surprised. This is Asgard; a magical realm full of gods, goddesses, huge creatures, and rainbow bridges located on a flat rock suspended in space. Strange things are bound to happen. Even so, this is bordering on _bizarre_. “How did you even get up here?”

The squirrel didn’t respond – of course it didn’t – but it did proceed to look in a seemingly random direction. Hela reluctantly followed its gaze, weary of more climbing, before quickly doing a double take.

There is something amongst the cliffs, almost hidden by the rocks. But now that she’s staring at it, she can _just see_ the well-hidden opening of a cave.

Now the squirrel looked so smug, and Hela wanted nothing more than to roll her eyes. Though seeing as it helped her, she refrained. “Why are you helping me?” She asked, suspicious. Hey, if she is going in a strange cave that is possibly the home of a deadly creature and face her death, then she deserves to know _why_.

She never expected it to _actually_ respond.

‘ _Because dear old Fenris deserves a friend.’_ It _cackled._

As if on cue, a deafening howl suddenly pierced through the quiet air. The horrifying sound sent a chill all the way down Hela's bones and succeeded in sending a flock of panicked birds to take off in a frenzy from the whole forest. The air had gone eerily still as the very ground trembled, sending her stumbling back in shock, her wide eyes staring straight at the cave's entrance...

The cave where _the sound had come from._

With a last cackle echoing in her head, the mischievous squirrel proceeded on climbing up the mountaintop and promptly disappearing, leaving Hela frozen and completely _shaken to the core._

 

_..._

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for checking this out! Please take the time to read and comment, it will help let me know if I'm doing a good job or not. Constructive criticism is also welcome!
> 
> Please follow me on Tumblr: https://darkdreamymuse.tumblr.com/


End file.
